Digital jukebox device with improved user interfaces, and associated methods

ABSTRACT

Certain exemplary embodiments relate to entertainment systems and, more particularly, to systems that incorporate digital downloading jukebox features and improved user interfaces. For instance, a smart search may be provided, e.g., where search results vary based on the popularity of songs within the venue, in dependence on songs being promoted, etc. As another example, a tile-based approach to organizing groupings of songs is provided. Groupings may involve self-populating collections of songs that combine centrally-promoted songs, songs in a given genre that are popular across an audiovisual distribution network, and songs that are locally popular and match up with the given genre (e.g., because of shared attributes such as same or similar genre, artist, etc.). Different tile visual presentations also are contemplated, as are different physical jukebox designs. In certain example embodiments, a sealed core unit with the “brains” of the jukebox is insertable into a docking station.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Application No. 61/970,338filed on Mar. 25, 2014, the entire contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference herein.

This application incorporates by reference the entire contents of U.S.Application No. 61/920,688 and Ser. No. 29/477,654, both filed Dec. 24,2013.

This application also incorporates by reference the entire contents ofU.S. application Ser. No. 13/833,173 filed Mar. 15, 2013, which is acontinuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/621,922 filedSep. 18, 2012, which claims the benefit of Provisional Application Nos.61/584,750 filed Jan. 9, 2012 and 61/536,015 filed Sep. 18, 2011.

This application also incorporates by reference the entire contents ofU.S. application Ser. No. 13/138,660 filed Mar. 5, 2012, which is aNational Stage Application of International Application No.PCT/US2010/000799 filed Mar. 17, 2010, which claims the benefit ofProvisional Application No. 61/202,617 filed Mar. 18, 2009.

This application also incorporates by reference the entire contents ofU.S. application Ser. No. 12/929,466 filed Jan. 26, 2011, which claimsthe benefit of Provisional Application Nos. 61/431,036 filed Jan. 9,2011 and 61/298,509 filed Jan. 26, 2010.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Certain exemplary embodiments relate to entertainment systems and, moreparticularly, certain exemplary embodiments relate to jukebox systemsthat incorporate digital downloading jukebox features and improved userinterfaces.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

Jukeboxes have been around for decades and provide users with theability to select desired music for reproduction in a convenient andadvantageous manner. Jukeboxes conventionally have been provided incommercial establishments, such as restaurants and bars, in order toprovide desired music on demand for patrons thereof for a fee. Over thelast several years, a new generation of jukebox devices have becomeavailable that provide significant improvements in the operation thereoffor all parties involved. More specifically, the conventional standalonephonorecord and CD jukeboxes are being replaced by digital downloadingjukeboxes that are controlled by and communicate with a central server.An example of this new generation jukebox system is shown in U.S. Pat.No. 6,308,204, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein byreference. A leading provider of this new generation of jukebox systemsis TouchTunes Music Corporation.

FIG. 1 shows an overview of an exemplary embodiment of a digitaldownloading jukebox system 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the jukebox system 10includes a central server 12 that contains a master library of audiocontent (typically music), as well as or alternatively audiovisualcontent (typically music and associated video or graphics), that can bedownloaded therefrom. The jukebox system also includes a series ofremote jukebox devices 16, 16 a-16 f. Each of these jukebox devices aregenerally located in a bar, restaurant, club, or other desired location,and are operable to play music (e.g., from a suitable storage locationsuch as, for example, from a local server, a central and potentiallyremote server, from local storage, etc.) in response to receiving apayment from a user, such as coins, bills, credit/debit card, etc., andhaving one or more songs selected by the user for play. In analternative embodiment, a music service is paid for on a subscriptionbasis by the location, and the selected music is free for the end-user.The jukebox device 16 typically includes a screen 18 that presentsinformation to the user and allows the user to select songs therefrom,as well as an audio system 20 that plays the selected songs. The screen18 may also be used for displaying song-related video or graphics. Thescreen 18 may also be used to display advertisements for the jukeboxitself in order to attract customers thereto, to display other types ofadvertisements, and/or to display any other desired information.

The jukebox devices 16 (sometimes referred to herein as simply“jukeboxes”) are operable to communicate with the central server 12through a communications network 14, such as, for example, the Internet.The jukeboxes 16 periodically communicate with the server 12 in order toprovide information to the server 12 regarding the specific songs thathave been played on the jukebox. The central server then uses thisinformation in order to determine the appropriate royalties and/or otherpayments that are owed for songs played on each jukebox. Thus, oneadvantage of this new generation of jukeboxes is that the soundreproduction and/or other applicable music rights can be adhered to in amore accurate and reliable manner, thereby assuring the proper royaltiesare paid to the artists or music owners. The central server 12 can alsoprovide new songs to the jukebox 16 in order to assure that theappropriate or most popular songs are maintained on the jukebox based onthe specific customers at that location. Thus, the songs available oneach jukebox can be customized through communication with the centralserver in order to provide the songs and/or types of music thatcustomers generally request at each jukebox location. As described inthe above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,204, the central server canalso advantageously be used to update the operating software on thejukeboxes in order to, for example, change the operation of the jukebox,such as to provide new or improved features. Thus, another advantage ofthis new generation of jukeboxes is that the songs (or other audioand/or visual content), and the operation of the jukebox itself can beremotely changed as desired without the need to have someone (such as arouteman) personally service the jukebox. Instead, such updates can bedone using the central server 12.

As indicated above, the jukebox devices 16 each include a mass storagedevice, such as a hard drive, which stores the songs and associatedvideo/graphics data (if any), as well as any other desired graphicalinformation for reproduction on the jukebox. The mass storage device ofthe jukebox typically has limited storage capacity relative to thestorage device of the central server 12. As a result, only a fraction ofthe songs stored on the central server are typically stored on the massstorage device of the jukebox at any one time. There may be otherreasons as well, such as for security of the data or limited room in thejukebox itself, for having limited storage capacity on the jukeboxand/or limiting the number of songs stored thereon. For example,physical space may be limited on wall-mount jukeboxes or the like, whichare designed to be small in size as compared to free-standing models. Asexplained above, the songs on the jukebox can be changed throughcommunication with the central server, but typically any one jukeboxonly stores a relatively small subset of the complete library of songsmaintained by the central server at any one time.

In order to increase the revenue that a jukebox generates, making themost desired or popular songs available on the jukebox over time may beseen as an advantage. If customers cannot find songs they like on thejukebox, usage of the jukebox (and the revenue generated thereby) candecrease. On the other hand, it is not always possible to predict inadvance exactly what a customer at any particular location will desireto play on the jukebox. In fact, there are likely many instances where acustomer would have selected a song that exists on the central serverbut is not currently present on the jukebox. As a result, the jukeboxmay not be enjoyed and used to its fullest extent. In order to addressthis problem and increase revenue, jukebox systems have in the pastprovided a feature that enables the user to search for songs on thecentral server from the jukebox and request an immediate download of adesired song from the central server to the jukebox for an additionalfee. This feature enables the user to play any song in the masterlibrary of songs maintained by the central server using the jukebox,regardless of whether or not the specific song is presently stored inthe mass storage of the jukebox itself. Thus, the user can first lookfor desired songs on the local storage of the jukebox and then, ifdesired, search further on the central server for desired songs (e.g.,in connection with search functionality, potentially accessible byselecting a central server search function button on the screen). Thejukebox device typically charges an additional fee (such as five creditsinstead on one credit) for an immediate download and play of a song fromthe central server as opposed to a standard play directly from thejukebox's local storage.

As might be discerned from the above, the “conventional wisdom” is toattempt to maximize revenues and ensure a broad-based appeal byproviding more and more media offerings or songs via a jukebox. In otherwords, the conventional wisdom and industry thinking is to makeavailable as many media offerings or songs as possible via a jukebox sothat the one jukebox will be appropriate for any venue. The theory isbased in part on the common perception that it is easier to develop asingle, standard jukebox with as many offerings as possible, than toprovide multiple different jukeboxes each making available a differentset of limited media content. This common understanding, in turn, mayhave its roots in the fact that conventional, non-digital jukeboxesclearly had severely limited repertoires and that even many earlydigital jukeboxes has expanded repertoires that were still limited bylicensing and accounting requirements, download speeds, etc.

The assignee has recently discovered that the conventional wisdom nolonger is entirely accurate and that the underlying assumptions aresomewhat flawed. For example, the assignee has recently discovered thatproviding more and more media offerings is not necessarily desirable inall instances. This discovery is based, in part, on the assignees'recognition that providing more and more offerings means providing moreand more opportunities for patrons to play music that is inconsistentwith the authenticity or identity of a location. For instance, theauthenticity and identity of a “biker bar” can be severely undermined ifa patron were to play what could be considered pop or “teeny-bopper”music, just as a country line dancing venue might have its authenticityand identity undermined if hip hop and rhythm and blues songs wereplayed. The assignee has from time to time experienced difficultiesproviding jukeboxes in locations for these vary reasons. Surprisinglyand unexpectedly, the assignee's experiences provide evidence that theability to selectively “filter” music by excluding songs, genres, and/orthe like often is seen as an unacceptable, incomplete, and/or otherwiseundesirable to proprietors of locations.

Apart from or in addition to the actual media being played, the assigneehas also discovered that the physical appearance of the utilitarianjukebox is sometimes undesirable. Indeed, the assignee has discoveredthat the physical appearance of a jukebox or jukebox terminal can beundesirable simply because the device itself looks like a jukebox (e.g.,has a payment acceptor, a touch screen display that selectively operatesin an “attract mode,” includes flashing and/or otherwise changing neonlights, etc.). In a perhaps related matter, the assignee has discoveredthat the content displayed on a jukebox or jukebox terminal also may beconsidered undesirable. As above, the physical appearance of the jukeboxdevice and/or content displayed on the jukebox device may threaten toundermine the authenticity or identity of a location. As a perhaps moreconcrete example, it has been observed by the assignee that so-called“ultralounges” typically react negatively towards the visual appearancesof conventional jukeboxes. As another example, the assignee hasdiscovered that the “wrong” types of advertisements and/or media may bedisplayed at a given location as, for example, ultraloungesstereotypically find it more desirable and “authentic” to displayattractive men and women wearing fashionable clothing and accessories ascompared to album art, concert advertisements, etc.

Still another discovery that the assignee has made is that theconventional ways that people typically discover music (including songs,artists, etc.) are becoming outmoded. In addition to, or rather than,watching a music television station such as MTV or the like, listeningto the radio, or paying attention to advertisements, potential patronsare discovering music in new and different ways. User interfaces thatenable patrons to browse or search for music on a jukebox devicetypically enable browsing and/or searching based on artist name, songname, album, and/or the like. But such techniques do not necessarilyresult in the patron being exposed to new or different music and isstill another conventional technique for music discovery. The assigneehas realized that today's potential patrons oftentimes are moreinterested in music discovered through non-traditional social networkingoutlets and/or through pure “buzz” generated on the Internet or throughsuch social networking outlets.

Given the above discoveries and realizations, it will be appreciatedthat further improvements to jukebox devices can be made. It also willbe appreciated that some or all of such improvements are contrary toaccepted wisdom and/or industry-standard practice. For instance,providing more limited media selections probably would be seen as a“step back” when viewed through the lens of conventional thinking,whereas the assignee has realized that it actually may be consideredmore desirable by some to provide a more limited selection whenattempting to preserve the authenticity and/or identity of a location.As another example, jukebox devices conventionally have been viewed ashaving one of several “classic designs” and digital jukebox devices havebeen designed to be “updates” to such classic designs, whereas theassignee has realized that jukeboxes are perhaps not as utilitarian orubiquitous as they have been viewed. Still further, it will beappreciated that conventional browsing and/or searching techniques maybe updated and/or replaced, e.g., to reflect newer ways that potentialpatrons discover and experience music.

In general, certain exemplary embodiments relate to the inclusion ofinnovative user interfaces that help immerse the user in an interactivejukebox world where user interface elements help provide formulti-dimensional interaction with collections of instances of media,synchronized external and/or internal lightshow feedback and/orprojection, play queue reveal and/or manipulation, blurring/focusing ofelements, synchronized lyrics display, etc. Certain exemplaryembodiments described herein also include cameras and/or LEDs that mayhelp, for example, enable artist and/or patron likenesses to be used orincorporated into jukebox interfaces, cameras to be leveraged in attractor flight modes or to serve as mirrors, lighting elements to be used ascamera flashes, LEDs to simulate tactile feedback for touch screendisplays or patron welcome display messages, provide a jukebox-basedsecurity system, apply contextual ads, etc. Adaptive auto-completesearch recommendations may be provided in certain exemplary embodiments,as may set lists and/or enhanced collection type browsing.

According to certain exemplary embodiments, jukebox devices with suchuser interfaces, and/or systems with such jukebox devices are provided.Similarly, according to certain exemplary embodiments, non-transitorycomputer readable storage mediums tangibly store programs that, whenexecuted, implement the methods described herein.

Certain example embodiments use a profile and tile approach (e.g., asdescribed in greater detail below) that is more dynamic and customizablethan catalog-based approaches oftentimes used for music-reproductionsystems. The approach of certain example embodiments is advantageousbecause it has been found that catalogs expose potential patrons to toomuch information (in the form of too many selections) where there is avery low likelihood that a large percentage of the songs will be played.Although some have attempted to provide sorting based on popularity, apotential patron might not know where the song is in the popularitylist, or a song might not be ranked at all, and thus the patron mightrevert to a very long alphabetical list that is daunting to use. Certainexample embodiments implement a cloud-based music merchandizingprofile-related approach that effectively narrows down the musical liststo songs more likely to be of interest to a potential patron. In otherwords, certain example embodiments separate the catalog from music thatactually is merchandized.

In certain example embodiments, a playlist in a profile or the like maybe populated with a certain number or percentage of promoted songs,network-wide favorites suitable for that profile, and local jukeboxfavorites suitable for that profile. For instance, a music department ofthe provider might select 5% of the entries in a rock genre playlist forpromotion, 30% of the entries in that list may be network-wide rock songfavorites, and the remainder be local jukebox rock favorites. Thus,certain example embodiments relate to self-populating playlists thatcombine centrally programmed promoted songs, genre-based songs that arepopular across the network, and local popularity of songs with the sameplaylist attributes (such as genre or similar artist).

The same or a similar approach may be used when presenting searchresults. In other words, certain example embodiments provide a smartsearch, where search results vary based on the popularity of songswithin the venue, with consideration given to songs being promoted bythe jukebox provider and/or others.

Profiles, searching, etc. might be analytics driven in certain exampleembodiments. Events may be logged locally at the jukeboxes and collectedand processed centrally, e.g., to offload processing power, maintainaudit logs, get a good view of a network, etc. The events that arelogged may include, for example, touches, time, and searches. Events maybe logged to rate collections of music and/or the orders of itemstherein. For example, a quick time between insertion of payment andmusical selection would be desirable, scrolling once followed by aselection would still be desirable, scrolling twice followed by aselection also would still be desirable (although perhaps less so thanthe preceding option), and hitting the back button might be seen asnegative feedback. Advantageously, the cloud-based music merchandisingsystem may allow for customized experiences at each venue.

Images may be carefully selected and potentially made dynamic so as toattract users. For instance, although album art has been used in thepast, art belonging to a label but that is more provocative ortopical/current (e.g., as being from social media, a current tour, anews media story, etc.) and thus more relevant might be used in itsplace. In certain example embodiments, a top-level item might have themore provocative image, whereas the second-level item might have themore expected album-related art.

Certain example embodiments may allow certain user types to buildprofiles, playlists, tiles, and/or the like. As will be apparent fromthe description below, these items may be programmatically generated andprovided in a layered fashion. The user types may include operators,venue owners, patrons, and/or the like.

Certain example embodiments include (1) a centralized gateway thatmaintains a listing of profiles, playlists, tiles, etc., and determinewhen updates need to be pushed to jukeboxes, and (2) a backend softwarepackage that enables these and/or other items to be created, updated,and/or otherwise managed. The latter may include a link to the catalogfor authorized users, but the former may ensure that jukebox patronsonly interact with merchandized music based on the profile, etc.,distributed to the individual jukeboxes.

The exemplary embodiments, aspects, and advantages disclosed herein maybe provided in any suitable combination or sub-combination to achieveyet further exemplary embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the instantinvention will be further understood by review of the following detaileddescription of the exemplary embodiments when read in conjunction withthe appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional downloading digital jukeboxsystem;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an improvedjukebox system 10′;

FIG. 3 is an example “home screen” that may be used in connection withcertain exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 4 is an example search screen that may be used in connection withcertain exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 5 is an example screen shot of certain artist search results whenthe FIG. 4 search screen is used;

FIG. 6 is another example screen shot of certain artist search resultswhen the FIG. 4 search screen is used;

FIG. 7 is an example screen shot of certain album search results whenthe FIG. 4 search screen is used;

FIG. 8 is an example screen shot of certain album search results whenthe FIG. 4 search screen is used;

FIG. 9 is an example “top plays” screen that may be used in connectionwith certain exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 10 is another example “top plays” screen that may be used inconnection with certain exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 11 is an example “discover” screen that may be used in connectionwith certain exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 12 is an example “new artists” screen that may be selected from theexample “discover” screen of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is an example “new albums” screen that may be selected from theexample “discover” screen of FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is another example “new albums” screen that may be selected fromthe example “discover” screen of FIG. 11;

FIG. 15 is another view of the example “discover” screen of FIG. 11 thatmay be used in connection with certain exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 16 is another view of the example “discover” screen of FIG. 11 thatmay be used in connection with certain exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 17 is an example “song listing page” for a selected artist, inaccordance with certain exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 18 is an example “album listing page” for a selected artist, inaccordance with certain exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 19 is an example detailed screen for an album selected from theexample “album listing page” of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is an example “play screen” in accordance with certain exemplaryembodiments;

FIG. 21 is another example “play screen” in accordance with certainexemplary embodiments;

FIG. 22 is another example “play screen” in accordance with certainexemplary embodiments;

FIG. 23 is still another example “play screen” in accordance withcertain exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 24 is an example myTouchTunes login screen in accordance withcertain exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 25 shows the outline of an example screen on which other userinterface elements may be located in connection with certain exemplaryembodiments;

FIG. 26 shows a carousel view superimposed on the FIG. 25 example layoutin accordance with an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 27 shows an updated carousel view, e.g., after a user has “flippedthrough” at least some of the tiles from FIG. 26, in accordance with anexemplary embodiment;

FIG. 28 shows an update to the FIG. 27 example screen that may be madewhen a new song is added to the queue, in accordance with certainexemplary embodiments;

FIG. 29 is an example screenshot showing the FIG. 28 screen beingmodified to accommodate a partial queue reveal, in accordance withcertain exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 30 updates the FIG. 29 example view to reflect previously playedsongs, in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 31 is a search screen similar to that shown in and described abovein connection with FIG. 4;

FIG. 32 is an example search results screen in accordance with anexemplary embodiment;

FIG. 33 shows an enlarged artists display in accordance with anexemplary embodiment, e.g., as if the artists tile were selected or thecorresponding element were selected from the control elements from FIG.32;

FIGS. 34-35 are example screens showing adaptive completion of search inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 36 is an example artist-specific page, in accordance with certainexemplary embodiments;

FIG. 37 shows a drop-down list from FIG. 36 being expanded;

FIG. 38 includes song list reordered in connection with a selection madefrom the drop-down list from FIG. 37;

FIG. 39 is an example screen showing an expanded album view, inaccordance with certain exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 40 shows an update to the FIG. 39 example screen, indicative of adifferent album being selected;

FIG. 41 is an example screen showing playlist being organized in tileviews, in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 42 is an example screen that may be displayed once a playlist isselected from FIG. 41;

FIG. 43 is an example play screen similar to that shown in FIG. 22;

FIG. 44 is an example screen showing an expanded album view similar toFIG. 39;

FIG. 45 is an example “new and hot” screen, in accordance with certainexemplary embodiments;

FIGS. 46-47 are example genre views in accordance with certain exemplaryembodiments;

FIG. 48 is a front perspective view of an example jukebox on which theuser interfaces described herein may be provided, according to certainexemplary embodiments;

FIG. 49 is a front elevation view of an example enclosed core that maybe used in the FIG. 48 example jukebox, in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment;

FIG. 50 is a bottom plan view of the example core shown in FIG. 49;

FIG. 51 is a right side elevation view of the example core shown in FIG.49;

FIG. 52 is a rotated version of FIG. 51;

FIG. 53 is a front perspective view of the interior of the FIG. 48example jukebox, ready to receive the example core of FIG. 49;

FIG. 54 is a front elevation view of the FIG. 48 example jukebox with asection line referenced in FIGS. 55-56;

FIG. 55 is a cross-sectional view through the section line shown in FIG.54, with the example core of FIG. 49 being located in the jukebox shelland with the lever in an unlocked or “core up” position;

FIG. 56 is a cross-sectional view through the section line shown in FIG.54, with the example core of FIG. 49 being located in the jukebox shelland with the lever in a locked or “core latched” position;

FIG. 57 is a front elevation view of the FIG. 48 example jukebox with asection line referenced in FIGS. 58-59;

FIG. 58 is a cross-sectional view through the section line shown in FIG.57, with the example core of FIG. 49 being located in the jukebox shelland with the lever in the unlocked or “core up” position;

FIG. 59 is a cross-sectional view through the section line shown in FIG.57, with the example core of FIG. 49 being located in the jukebox shelland with the lever in the locked or “core latched” position;

FIG. 60 is a front perspective view of a fan tray that may be used inconnection with the FIG. 48 example jukebox, in accordance with anexemplary embodiment;

FIG. 61 shows the range of movement of components in the FIG. 60 examplefan tray;

FIG. 62 is a top plan view of the FIG. 60 example fan tray, showing theelectronic fan controller thereof;

FIG. 63 is a front elevation view of the FIG. 60 example fan tray;

FIG. 64 is a bottom plan view of the FIG. 60 example fan tray;

FIG. 65 is a front perspective view of the FIG. 60 example fan traylocated in the jukebox shell;

FIG. 66 is a front elevation view of the FIG. 48 example jukebox withsection lines referenced in FIGS. 67-68;

FIG. 67 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 66 taken through the A-A line;

FIG. 68 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 66 taken through the C-C line;

FIG. 69 is an example profile details page that may be used in creatinga new profile in accordance with an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 70 a is an example screen that may be used to create a new profilein certain exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 70 b is a table showing an example profile header format that maybe used in connection with certain exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 71 a is an example tile creation screen that may be used in certainexemplary embodiments;

FIG. 71 b is a table showing an example tile definition format that maybe used in connection with certain exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 72 is an enlarged area of the lower portion of the FIG. 69 screen,showing a tile being added to the profile;

FIGS. 71 c(1)-71 c(2) provide another example tile definition formatthat may be used in connection with certain exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 73 a is an example profile analytics screen that may be displayedto users, in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments;

FIGS. 73 a(1)-73 a(4) are graphs showing revenue- and play-related datathat may be implemented as a part of an analytics module in accordancewith certain exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 73 b is an example tile analytics view that may be displayed tousers, in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 74 is an example new tile creation screen that may be used tocreate dynamic tiles, in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments;and

FIG. 75 is an example approval screen that may be used in connectionwith certain exemplary embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplaryembodiment of an improved jukebox system 10′. The jukebox system 10′includes similar elements as shown in FIG. 1 and described above,including a central server 12, communications network 14, and remotejukebox devices 16, 16 a-16 f. However, the jukebox system 10′ furtherincludes local servers 22, 22 a-22 f respectively connected to each ofthe jukebox devices 16, 16 a-16 f. The central server 12 includes amaster library of songs (and/or other content). Each of the jukeboxdevices includes a subset of the master library on a local storagedevice of the jukebox. The central server may be used to individuallymanage the contents of the jukebox device, by monitoring usage of andupdating the subset of songs on each of the jukebox devices with theintent of maximizing the usage thereof. The central server 12periodically receives data from each of the jukeboxes for the purpose ofroyalty accounting and payment for songs played. The jukebox devices mayconnect to the network in any suitable manner, such as dial-up modem orbroadband modem (e.g., DSL, cable, wireless broadband, or satellite).The communications network 14 may be any suitable network capable ofdistributing data (e.g., audiovisual data) from the central server 12 tothe jukeboxes 16 and enabling data to be uploaded from the jukeboxes 16to the central server 12.

The songs (and/or other data) may be digitized, compressed and encryptedby the central server 12 prior to sending songs to the jukeboxes forsecurity and bandwidth purposes using known techniques. The songs arethen decompressed and decrypted by the jukeboxes for storage andreproduction thereon. Thus, each of the jukeboxes maintains in adatabase a library of digitized songs for play on the jukebox, whereinthe library can be changed or updated through communication by thecentral server. The jukeboxes may also receive and store dataconstituting images (e.g., still and/or moving video and/or graphicalimages) that can be displayed on the display 18 of the jukebox device16. In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the jukebox deviceshave similar structure and operation described in U.S. Pat. No.6,308,204 referenced above. Thus, the jukebox devices 16 each mayinclude one or more microprocessors, such as a main CPU and an audioDSP, a memory, such as a hard drive, for storing songs and/or othercontent, a display of displaying visual items, an audio arrangement 20for providing audio, a communication system for enabling the jukebox tocommunicate with the central server 12 through the communicationsnetwork 14, and operating software, including a multitasking operatingsystem, that controls the operation of the jukebox. The operatingsoftware also may be updateable through communication with the centralserver 12 as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,204referenced above. The jukeboxes 16 further include one or more paymentdevices, such as coin, bill and/or credit card input devices, forenabling a customer to pay for usage of the jukebox device in aconvenient manner. The screen 18 may be a touch screen that enables theuser to input selections by touching the screen.

Each jukebox device has, in one embodiment, a local server 22 that canbe accessed by the jukebox device. The local servers are respectivelyconnected to the jukebox devices using Ethernet or other type of localconnection. In another embodiment, the local server may simply be alogical extension (e.g. partition, directory, or area) of the jukebox'shard drive, rather than a separate hardware device. The local servers 22may each include a mirror copy of the master library of musicalrecordings maintained by the central server 12. The local server 22 canbe loaded with the master library by the entity that owns and/orcontrols the jukebox network prior to shipping the local server andjukebox device to the jukebox distributor or operator. Of course, overtime, the local sever will no longer correspond identically to thecentral server, due to the fact that the central server may becontinually updated with additional or new songs. Thus, the localservers 22 also may be updated periodically to maintain a correspondencewith the library on the central server 12. This updating can be done,for example, by the central server 12 through communication with thejukebox devices connected with the local servers 22 using, for example,either dial-up or broadband modems. Alternatively, the updating can bedone personally with an update tool that can be connected by a routemanor other person directly to the jukebox or local server for the purposeof updating the contents of the local server. The portable tool couldinclude a removable storage medium, such as a hard drive, that could bereturned to and reused by the owner of the jukebox system for futureupdates. The tool itself could be kept by the operator or other personin charge of maintaining specific jukeboxes for use upon receipt of theupdated removable storage medium from the owner of the jukebox system.

For security reasons, the local server 22 may not include all of thedigital data that constitutes any one song that is stored on the localserver 22. In addition, the part of the song that is on the local serveris encrypted. The jukebox device 16 contains the missing part of each ofthe songs on the local server, thereby enabling the jukebox to assemblethe complete song based on the contents of the local server and thememory on the jukebox device. The missing data located on the jukebox isneeded in order to decrypt the songs. For example, a single block (orother small fraction) of data for each song may be missing on the localserver but present on the jukebox device, and the encryption may bebased on the missing block and may proceed on a block by block basis.Thus, none of the blocks can be decrypted without obtaining and/ordecrypting a preceding block. This feature provides significant securityand prevents or deters theft or other type of unauthorized use orcopying of the songs on the local server. Thus, in this embodiment, eachlocal server must be specifically assigned to a specific jukebox deviceso that the decryption described above can be properly performed.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the local servers may alsoeach be individually registered with and identified to the centralserver 12, so that the central server can individually manage andmonitor each local server. The same is true for the jukebox deviceitself, i.e., it may also be registered with the central server so thatit too can be individually monitored and managed by the central server.As will be understood from the foregoing description, the local serversbecome an important and advantageous part of the jukebox system byallowing the contents thereof to be accessed by the jukebox device toprovide additional services (such as providing additional songs) notavailable on the jukebox device itself. As will be explained below, thesong library of the central server and/or the storage capacity itselfcan be advantageously used to provide services to other jukeboxes, suchas fee-based residential and commercial jukeboxes and/or other fee-basedequipment. One use of the local servers may be to provide an immediatesong downloading feature.

Certain exemplary embodiments include a new user interface for exploringand browsing media content, e.g., using a touch-screen. Certainexemplary embodiments obtain a location, a direction, and/or a speed ofa sensed touch. This information may be used, in turn, to help navigateamong objects in the space provided on the display screen.

In this vein, the space is the general presentation area on which allgraphic elements are presented. Collections generally refer to logicalcollections of media and may be subject to preferential filtering, e.g.,to present and make available only media that satisfies criteria fordifferent levels of actors and/or based on different selections. Theymay sometimes be represented by graphic images. Objects generally referto songs, artists, playlists, games, or media sources that arerepresented in a sequence from a central catalog. Objects that arepresented may sometimes be thought of as being subject to a matchbetween the user or locations preferences and the attributes of theobject was being browsed. As described in certain of assignee'sco-pending applications (which are referenced above), an authenticationmechanism may be provided to, among other things, identify the user andprovide security credential authorization.

An example user interface will now be described in connection with theexample screenshots provided in FIGS. 3-24. FIG. 3 is an example “homescreen” that may be used in connection with certain exemplaryembodiments. The example home screen shown in FIG. 3 includes a group offour main navigation elements. These elements are element 302 a-302 d,which respectively enable a user to navigate to the home screen,initiate a search, access “top plays,” and “discover” music in a new andintuitive manner. Because the user currently is on the home screen, thefirst, home element 302 a is highlighted as being active. The featuresassociated with the other elements 302 b-302 d will be described ingreater detail below. It will be appreciated that these main navigationelements 302 a-302 d may in certain exemplary embodiments be carriedthrough the various screens to provide a consistent look and feel forthe user, and to enable easy navigation among these common, highlightedfeatures.

Additional information may be provided along the left side of the screenunder these main navigation elements 302 b-302 d that may be carriedover into some or all of the other views. For example, an icon 304 mayprovide instructions for how to download a software application (an“app”) to a mobile device (such as a smart phone, tablet, phablet, orthe like), e.g., that enables the user to at least partially control thejukebox. Such features may, for example, enable a user to order songs,purchase credits, etc. Additional information about the provider of thejukebox may be accessed by pressing the about button 306. A screen withlegal information (e.g., copyright, patent, and/or other information)may then be displayed. Promotional items also may be shown in this area.

In the FIG. 3 example, a “Tweet for Tunes promotional icon 308 isdisplayed. This particular promotion ties into an external socialnetworking site (in this example case, Twitter), and enables aregistered jukebox user who also has an account with the external socialnetworking site to announce (in this example case, Tweet) songs that theregistered jukebox user is listening to via the jukebox. It also maysimulate the functionality of the similar app and, for instance, enableusers to search through songs other users have announced. Of course, itwill be appreciated that other promotions may have logos provided hereor elsewhere, and they may or may not tie into external socialnetworking sites in different examples.

Similar to the leftmost pane with the main navigation elements 302 b-302d, etc., an upper status bar provides information that may be carriedthrough the various screens to provide the user with information thatmay be of assistance in making selections and/or of general interest,regardless of which feature is active or is being activated. Forinstance, the upper bar includes a “now playing” indication 310, whichin this example identifies the song name, the artist or group thatperforms the song, and album or other artwork associated with the song.A credits indicator 312 also may indicate how many credits have beeninserted into the jukebox and can be used for playback, karaoke, photobooth, song purchasing, and/or other purposes. Information about howmuch money credits cost also is provided in this example layout. Otherinformation that could be helpful to a user regardless of the part ofthe user interface the user is accessing may be provided in this upperstatus bar. For example, a login button (e.g., that enables a jukeboxuser to sign into the jukebox via a jukebox-specific username/passwordcombination, using a single-sign on or SSO login operation in connectionwith an external social networking site account such as Facebook,Twitter, or the like, via an email account login, etc.), languageselection button, help button (e.g., that triggers context sensitivehelp that may in some cases be customized based on the particular screenbeing displayed, for instance) can be provided here or elsewhere. It isnoted that many user interface elements may supportinternationalization, e.g., in that instead of hard-coding a piece oftext or image, it may be replaced with an identifying label thatcorresponds to and/or otherwise identifies text in English, French,Spanish, etc., in tables within the database. The system may use thelanguage chosen for the interface and replace the label with the correcttext based on a user's selection of the language.

At the bottom of the screen, a featured jukebox-related advertisementmay be displayed. In the FIG. 3 example, a leader board typeadvertisement is provided, highlighting the “ultimate jukebox classics”playlist. This playlist (like some or all of the other playlistsdescribed below) may be a custom-curated collection of songs that areavailable for playback. This particular playlist may include popularjukebox songs like Journey's “Don't Stop Believin',” Joan Jett's “I LoveRock and Roll,” Neil Diamond's “Sweet Caroline,” etc., e.g., as selectedby a group of marketing and/or music professionals. This leader boardtype advertisement may be carried through various screens with apriority lower than that of main navigation elements 302 b-302 d and/orthe upper status bar. In other words, this leader board typeadvertisement may be carried through various screens, unless additionalspace is needed, in which case it may be removed to make room foradditional content, etc. The same may be true of the main navigationelements 302 b-302 d and/or the upper status bar, but they may beremoved only if the initial removal of the lower leader board typeadvertisement is insufficient to provide enough room for the additionalcontent, etc., at least in certain exemplary embodiments.

The main content area of the FIG. 3 example screenshot is bounded by theupper status bar, the lower leader board type advertisement, and themain navigation elements 302 b-302 d. This main content area may includeseveral sections, e.g., defined by successive rows. The first rowincludes a featured jukebox-related advertisement 316. Thejukebox-related advertisement 316 in this example pertains to a newalbum and includes promotional artwork related to the same which, inthis instance, includes a picture of Kid Rock, his name, and a stylizedversion of the name of the new album being promoted. It will of coursebe appreciated that other jukebox-related advertisements may beprovided, e.g., advertising artists, songs, labels, events, etc.Although certain advertisements are described as being jukebox-relatedadvertisements (e.g., because they pertain to music that is playable onthe jukebox, for example), non jukebox related advertisements mayadditionally or alternatively be provided in certain exemplaryembodiments, e.g., in the section 316 or elsewhere.

A second row 318 includes elements corresponding to different playlists.As indicated above, these playlists may be custom-curated in certainexemplary embodiments. The example playlists shown in FIG. 3 includefavorites, disco songs, and “hot hits.” In certain exemplaryembodiments, user-generated may be provided in place of, or in additionto, these custom-curated playlists. A user may select a playlist bypressing it, and this may transition to a screen described below. A usermay also press and pan to the left or right, e.g., to access additionalplaylists.

The third row 320 includes elements corresponding to individual songs.These songs are designated as “top plays.” They may in certain exemplaryembodiments be preselected items, e.g., to promote a certain band,album, label, upcoming events, etc. In certain exemplary embodiments,top plays at an individual location; across locations, e.g., serviced bya single operator, owned by a single party, within a predeterminedproximity or grouping of localities, etc.; throughout the entire jukeboxnetwork; and/or the like, may be provided in this area in certainexemplary embodiments. In certain exemplary embodiments, thisinformation may be based on an industry-standard or other chart such as,for example, the Billboard Hot 100, Billboard genre charts, etc. Asabove, a user may also press and pan to the left or right, e.g., toaccess additional songs.

A user may also press and pan up to access further row-oriented content.For example, additional advertisements, groupings of songs,jukebox-related services (e.g., such as karaoke, photo booth, games,etc.), and/or the like may be made visible and accessible. In certainexemplary embodiments, a real-time or substantially real-time “playingnow” stream of songs being played across the network may be provided,e.g., in a row. The central server or other unit may, for example,receive data from individual jukebox devices in the network regardingplays. That play information may be used to keep tallies of the songsbeing requested over all time, within a configurable fixed or slidingwindow (e.g., of 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day,etc.), and/or in some other way. In certain exemplary embodiments, thisinformation may be presented as a Wall Street like ticker, e.g., showingthe top 40 or other number of songs moving up and down, e.g., based onnetwork data gathered in real-time or substantially in real-time. Themovement may be based on changes from window-to-window, and simple upand down arrows (which optionally may be color coded green and red, orotherwise) may be used to convey movement. In other cases, the amount ofmovement may be noted, e.g., with a plus or minus sign, optionallytogether with or in place of a number of spots, and/or the like.

In certain exemplary embodiments, the songs displayed on the main screenmay be grouped based on the number of credits that they cost. Forinstance, the user may be able to choose to see only songs that cost1-credit, songs that cost 1- or 2-credits, etc. In certain exemplaryembodiments, the default display may include songs that cost 1- or2-credits, but this may be updated based on user selection.

Although certain exemplary embodiments have been described as includingmore or less “fixed” elements at the top, left, and bottom of thescreen, other arrangements may be provided for such information. Thearrangement shown in FIG. 3 and discussed above works well for English-and other-language localities, e.g., because a user tends to focus onthe main content provided in the approximate vertical center of thescreen and to the right (e.g., because many languages are written fromleft-to-right and top-to-bottom). However, other language localities maymove these fixed elements around on the screen and/or relative to oneanother. For instance, for Hebrew-language localities, the mainnavigation elements 302 a-302 d may be moved to the right of the screen,e.g., because the language is written from right-to-left andtop-to-bottom. For Asian languages, where a column-based approach may bemore appropriate based on writing styles, etc., a 90 degree rotation ofthe basic elements shown in FIG. 3 may be in order.

FIG. 4 is an example search screen that may be used in connection withcertain exemplary embodiments. The FIG. 4 example screen may bedisplayed when an initial search is requested, e.g., before any searchcriteria is entered by the user. In addition to including the mainnavigation elements 302 a-302 d (with the search element 302 b beinghighlighted to indicate its selection), the upper status bar may stillbe provided. This upper area may be expanded to make room for additionalcontrol elements, such as, for example, breadcrumbs that show a “path”of user selections through the jukebox interface, the back button 402(which may in certain exemplary embodiments return the user to the homescreen of FIG. 3, the immediately prior selected screen regardless ofwhether it was the home screen, etc.), and/or the like. However, to makeroom for the additional content items, the lower leader board typeadvertisement is removed. In general, the back button may functionsimilar to that of a browser. That is, if a user is going to a new page,section, or modal, then the back button is activated. On the other hand,if this does not apply, then an inference may be made that the user issimply showing the same page but in a different manner and the backbutton should not revert to a previous state.

Referring to the main content area, before user entry is received, oneor more sponsored or other ads 404 may be provided. The ads may beselected at random, in accordance with a predefined ad campaign, inresponse to information known about a logged in user, as somethingrelated to the song currently being played, and/or based on othercriteria. The ad 404 may include active links that enable a user toaccess further content related to the ad, e.g., by pressing on it. Forinstance, the ad may open a web browser or the like, e.g., withadditional content such as, for example, QR codes that can be scanned toaccess discounts redeemable at a location at a later time, maps of thestores, games, and/or the like. Such additional content may nonethelessbe presented within the context of the jukebox ecosystem, e.g., suchthat the control elements are provided at the top and bottom (and/orother locations of the screen), so that the user still feels connectedto the home jukebox environment.

The user may use the keyboard 406 to provide input to the search engine.The entered characters may be displayed in the text entry area 408. Ifno characters are entered, then the text entry area 408 may simplyindicate the selected portion of the catalog that is to be searched.However, to indicate that this is explanatory text (rather than enteredtext), the indication may be provided in a comparatively lighter color,lower line weight, in italics, etc.

The portion of the catalog to be searched may be specified by selectingone of the control elements 410 a-410 c which, as shown in the FIG. 4example, enable the user to specify that artists, albums, and/or songsshould be searched. The artists control element 410 a is selected andtherefore is highlighted in the FIG. 4 example and, because no user datahas been provided by the keyboard 406, the text entry area 408 alsoreflects this selection. It will be appreciated that the song search maysearch song titles and/or lyrics in certain exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 5 is an example screen shot of certain artist search results whenthe FIG. 4 search screen is used. As shown in FIG. 5, the user enteredthe text “ZXY321” as an artist search in the text entry area 408. Nomatching artists were found, and a like indication is provided in thesearch result summary area 502. The list-based search result list 504itself is blank. In certain exemplary embodiments, the search resultslists 504 and the search result summary area 502 may be updated inreal-time, e.g., as the user enters additional characters.

FIG. 6 is another example screen shot of certain artist search resultswhen the FIG. 4 search screen is used. As shown in FIG. 6, the userentered the text “AC” as an artist search in the text entry area 408.The search result summary area 502 indicates that 200 artists werefound, and the list-based search result list 504 includes the matchingentries. Optionally, the number of songs associated with each matchingentry may be provided in the search result list 504. The up and downarrows 506 a and 506 b may be used to navigate through the list, or theuser may simply scroll the list up and down, e.g., by moving his/herfinger accordingly.

The search lists may be ordered by proximity to the match in certainexemplary embodiments. Of the results shown, “AC/DC” is the best matchand thus is listed first. “Adele” is listed second, because “AC” and“AD” are close to one another, both alphabetically and on the keyboard.This may help to address difficulties that are sometimes encounteredwhen using a touch screen keyboard and/or other like interface.Similarity searching may be provided, e.g., so that strings containingthe search text are retrieved (for example, “Alan Jackson” contains“AC”), so that inadvertent misspellings can sometimes retrieve relevantresults, etc.

FIG. 7 is an example screen shot of certain album search results whenthe FIG. 4 search screen is used. As shown in FIG. 7, the user enteredthe text “AL” as an album search in the text entry area 408. The searchresult summary area 502 indicates that 165 albums were found, and thelist-based search result list 504 includes the matching entries.Optionally, additional information may be provided together with thealbums, e.g., in columnar format. For instance, the artist name islisted, as are other items of note. The other items of note mayindicate, for example, whether there is a clean or explicit version ofan album available, whether the album has been flagged as being new(e.g., newly added to the jukebox network within a predetermined timeperiod such as a week, a month, or other period, newly released with thesame or similar time period, etc.). Other information of interest mayinclude an indication of how many songs are included in each album, ametric of how popular the albums are, etc. In certain exemplaryembodiments, albums may be sorted based on the information provided inthe search result list 504.

FIG. 8 is an example screen shot of certain album search results whenthe FIG. 4 search screen is used. As shown in FIG. 8, the user enteredthe text “SU” as a song search in the text entry area 408. The searchresult summary area 502 indicates that 520 songs were found, and thelist-based search result list 504 includes the matching entries.Optionally, additional information may be provided together with thesongs, similar to as described above. The credits needed to play eachsong are, for example, displayed together with the artist name and otheritems of note (e.g., clean vs. explicit versions of the songs, newflags, etc.).

FIG. 9 is an example “top plays” screen that may be used in connectionwith certain exemplary embodiments. The entries in the top plays listmay be generated in any suitable way. For instance, as described above,in certain exemplary embodiments, a real-time or substantially real-timestream of songs being played across the network may be provided. Thecentral server or other unit may, for example, receive data fromindividual jukebox devices in the network regarding song and/or albumplays. That play information may be used to keep tallies of the songsand/or albums being requested over all time, within a configurablesliding window (e.g., of 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 1 hour, 1day, etc.), and/or in some other way. That list may be generated and/orretrieved periodically (e.g., to match updates), daily/nightly, or atsome other regular or irregular interval. It also may be generatedand/or retrieved dynamically, e.g., when the top plays element 302 c isselected. In certain exemplary embodiments, industry-standard and/orother charts may be used to provide such information.

Top play information may be presented in list form, e.g., using the list902. A user may navigate the list using the up and down controlelements, by pressing and moving up or down on the list 902 itself, orby using the scrubber bar 904. The user may jump to an arbitraryposition, e.g., by pressing a location on the scrubber bar 904, with thetopmost portion being location 1 and the bottommost portion representingthe end of the list. The current position may be identified, e.g., usingscrubber bar position indicator 906.

As will be appreciated from FIG. 9, a user may select top plays in termsof albums or songs, and may sort the resulting top plays byalphabetically or by popularity (e.g., as a primary sort criterion)using catalog selectors 908 a-908 b and sort selectors 910 a-910 b,respectively. Depending on such selections, the list 902 may includesome or all of the additional information described above and/or otherinformation.

It also will be appreciated from FIG. 9 that a list view may provided.However, using layout selectors 912 a-912 b, a user may reorient theitems in a grid view. In this regard, FIG. 10 is another example “topplays” screen that may be used in connection with certain exemplaryembodiments, e.g., that incorporates a grid view. The grid-based list902′ includes the same information as shown in the list 902, but thedata is rearranged to make it more visually appealing. Navigationthrough the grid may be provided in manners similar to as describedabove. It will be appreciated from the FIG. 10 example that songs havebeen selected for ordering in alphabetical order using sort selectors910 a. This selection replaces the numerical scrubber bar 904 and thenumerical scrubber bar position indicator 906 with an alphabeticalscrubber bar 904′ and an alphabetical scrubber bar position indicator906′, as is perhaps more appropriate for such an ordering.

FIG. 11 is an example “discover” screen that may be used in connectionwith certain exemplary embodiments. The discover screen enables users toselect whether categorized sets of songs should be browsed by groups ofnew and hot music, genres, or playlists, e.g., using the discoverymechanism selectors 1102 a-1102 c. Because the “new and hot” discoverymechanism selector 1102 a is actuated, the categorized sets of songs inthe content area 1104 reflect new artists, new albums, new songs, hothits across genres, and hits within genres. Additional categorized setsof songs may be navigated to using the navigation techniques set forthin detail above. The entries within each category may be based on, forexample, actual jukebox and/or jukebox network play, curated sets ofmusic, user-generated content in the form of musical playlists, etc.

FIG. 12 is an example “new artists” screen that may be selected from theexample “discover” screen of FIG. 11. The example FIG. 12 screen issimilar to the FIG. 9 example screen, e.g., in that a list 1202 isprovided with artist entries. Additional information (e.g., album art,clean vs. explicit lyrics flags, number of songs, etc.) may be provided.A scrubber bar 1204 with a scrubber bar position indicator 1206 may beused to help navigate the entries, e.g., together with the othernavigation techniques described above. A user may switch between listand table views, e.g., using layout selectors 1208 a-1208 b. Althoughnot shown in FIG. 12, options for reordering the artists alphabeticallymay be provided.

FIG. 13 is an example “new albums” screen that may be selected from theexample “discover” screen of FIG. 11. FIG. 13 also is similar to theFIG. 9 example screen and the same, similar, or different user interfaceelements may be provided, e.g., for navigating, reordering, and/orotherwise adjusting the entries, etc. Likewise, FIG. 14 is anotherexample “new albums” screen that may be selected from the example“discover” screen of FIG. 11 also is similar to the FIG. 9 examplescreen and the same, similar, or different user interface elements maybe provided, e.g., for navigating, reordering, and/or otherwiseadjusting the entries, etc. However, a song popularity ordering may beprovided in connection with an alphabetical scrubber bar.

FIGS. 15-16 are further views of the example “discover” screen of FIG.11 that may be used in connection with certain exemplary embodiments.FIG. 15 includes categorized sets of songs in the content area 1104′organized by genres, and FIG. 16 includes categorized sets of songs inthe content area 1104″ organized by playlists.

FIG. 17 is an example “song listing page” for a selected artist, inaccordance with certain exemplary embodiments. The FIG. 17 example listssongs for the artist Queen. An indication is provided that 206 songs areprovided in the catalog of available songs. As with the examples above,a song listing may be provided in list or grid view, and a user maynavigate through the returned entries in the manners set forth above.Artwork related to an album and additional information about theindividual song entries also may be provided, e.g., as described above.A user may also reorder entries alphabetically or by popularity, and mayswitch between album and song views. The FIG. 17 example screen may bereached from (for instance) the example screens shown in FIGS. 3, 6-8,10-16, and 18 (possibly through a single user interaction), e.g., if analbum, artist, playlist, collection, or other appropriate element isselected.

FIG. 18 is an example “album listing page” for a selected artist, inaccordance with certain exemplary embodiments. The FIG. 18 example listsalbums by Queen. Once again, an indication is provided that 206 songsare provided in the catalog of available songs. Alternatively, or inaddition, an indication of the available albums may be provided. Thedisplay, navigation, and other features of FIG. 18 is similar to thatdescribed above, e.g., in connection with FIG. 17. The FIG. 18 examplescreen may be reached from (for instance) the example screens shown inFIGS. 3, 6-8, 11-12, and 15-17 (possibly through a single userinteraction), e.g., if an album, artist, playlist, collection, or otherappropriate element is selected.

FIG. 19 is an example detailed screen for an album selected from theexample “album listing page” of FIG. 18. The FIG. 19 example screen maybe displayed, for instance, when a user selects an album from FIG. 18.The songs from the album are displayed, along with album art. Thenavigation, ordering, and other options described above may be availablein certain exemplary embodiments. By pressing the more informationelement 1902, a user may “zoom out” and receive listings of albumsand/or songs available from Queen.

When a song is selected, the user may be presented with a screen such asthat shown in one of FIGS. 20-23, e.g., depending on the circumstances.That is, FIGS. 20-23 show example “play screens” in accordance withcertain exemplary embodiments. These play screens include album art orthe like, as well as a textual description of the song and artist name.Copyright information also may be displayed, as desirable or as requiredby law.

As shown in FIG. 20, there are no credits available. Thus, a user isprompted to insert credits for a play operation and a “play next”operation. The “play next” operation may enable the user to pay apremium in order to have the song moved up in the queue, potentially tothe next position. A user may pay an extra number of credits for anincremental queue reveal; to “lock in” a play within a certain timeperiod, number of songs, etc.; and/or the like, e.g., in certainexemplary embodiments. As indicated in FIG. 20, payment may be made viacash, credit card, debit card, and/or the like. The FIG. 20 examplescreen may be implemented as a modal screen, e.g., so as to help drivethe user towards an ultimate goal with the understanding that the useris no longer browsing and the decision to play a specific item or do acertain action has been made. Modals may be generally square, appear as“pop ups” over the rest of the content, have a content area within them,have a close modal button, be paired with an overlay over the rest ofthe content to clearly draw a user towards the center of the modal, etc.

FIG. 21 involves a scenario in which there are 2 credits available. Inthis example, 2 credits are sufficient to play a song but areinsufficient to use the “play next” operation. Thus, a control elementis provided to enable this “normal” playback, but the payment requiredinformation from FIG. 20 is grouped with the “play next” operationindication. This arrangement may help the user understand what optionsare available with the current number of credits, and what options willrequire additional credits to become active.

FIG. 22 involves a scenario in which there are sufficient creditsavailable for “normal” song playback and “play next” operations. Thus,elements for actuating each option are provided. These elements have asimilar visual appearance, but the “play next” operation is more similarto a conventional “fast forward” type button that may be found on atape, CD, DVD, or other player. This helps to visually highlight thedifference in playback approaches.

FIG. 23 involves a scenario where a user is able to add a song to aplaylist being built. This option may be available only for registeredusers in certain exemplary embodiments. In other embodiments, it may beavailable only where users have a sufficient number of credits availableto play multiple songs, and the playlist option may enable users toguarantee that multiple songs are played in a specified order and/or thelike.

It is noted that other pay-for-play options may be represented in themanners described above and/or other similar or dissimilar manners. Forexample, options may be provided enabling a user to pay a premium totrigger song plays within a particular area or particular areas in anestablishment, across multiple establishments, etc.

FIG. 24 is an example myTouchTunes login screen in accordance withcertain exemplary embodiments. This example screen may be displayed whenthe login button on the upper status bar is pressed, for example. As canbe seen, an upper portion of the screen enables unregistered users tosign up for an account, e.g., by pressing the sign up element 2402.Already registered users may simply enter their user names and passwordsin the corresponding text input areas 2404 a and 2404 b, e.g., using thekeyboard 2406, and pressing the enter element 2408. Terms and conditionsof use and the like may be provided to a user who presses the element at2410.

Promotional codes for the jukebox, e.g., from the venue, from anoperator, from the jukebox provider, from an advertiser, and/or otherparty, may be redeemed by pressing the redeem button 2412. Thepromotional codes may entitle the user to free credits usable on thejukebox, access to otherwise hidden playlists and/or musical selections,special advertisements, custom multimedia and/or other messages; etc.The promotional codes that are entered may be checked against databaseentries stored locally, in the central server, and/or elsewhere, and thejukebox may be made to take an appropriate action based on a successfullook-up operation.

A mobile code 2414 may be generated, e.g., enabling the user to accesssite specific information concerning the jukebox, to follow-up withsubsequent registration of a new account, to enable a user to log in tothe specific jukebox by entering the code, etc.

Another example user interface will now be described in connection withthe example screenshots provided in FIGS. 25-47. Many of the featuresdescribed above (e.g., in connection with the example user interfacedescribed in connection with FIGS. 3-24, for instance) may also be usedin connection with this example user interface. Thus, the discussion ofcertain elements may be shortened or omitted, but those skilled in theart will understand what is meant.

FIG. 25 shows the outline of an example screen on which other userinterface elements may be located in connection with certain exemplaryembodiments. In other words, it will be appreciated that the userinterface elements at the top and bottom of this example layout may bemaintained throughout the various selections and updated displaysdiscussed below. This example screen includes an indication of thecurrently playing song. Because the song is “Your Love Is My Drug” bythe artist Ke$ha, and because no other artist-specific page is selected,the background screen includes an image of Ke$ha. This artwork clearlyidentifies the artist whose song is being played, and may be provided bythe artist, record label, or other party, but may or may not necessarilybe tied to “album art” as that term is commonly used by those skilled inthis art. For example, the artwork may be supplied by a music departmentof the jukebox provider, it may correspond to a recently “Tweeted” imagethat has or has not been modified, or other image retrieved from asocial media page of the artist, etc. Referring once again to the upperbar area in the FIG. 25 example, a sponsored advertisement is displayed,as is a credit meter, and information about how to purchase credits. Asmaller sponsored advertisement also is displayed in the lower bar areain the FIG. 25 example. One or both of these may be liked to the songbeing played. In certain exemplary embodiments, the image shown on thehomepage may display a randomly selected artist image each time it isactivated. If a genre is filtered out, thereby implying that aparticular artist tagged as being associated with a particular genreshould not be shown, then that image should not be displayed. In certainexemplary embodiments, rather than random selection, looping betweenimages in a predefined order may be implemented. In some cases, it maynot be desirable to display artist images, e.g., to help keep thebackground clean and easy to use. For instance, in the genres, new andhot playlists, and search screen, and possibly any respectivesub-screens, it might in some cases be desirable to not use a backgroundartist image for overall clarity.

A horizontal arrangement of first-level control items 2502 a-2502 c isshown in the lower bar area in the FIG. 25 example. These first-levelcontrol items 2502 a-2502 c may enable a user to switch betweendifferent modes of the jukebox. For instance, a first first-levelcontrol item 2502 a enables the user to access music-related features, asecond first-level control item 2502 b enables the user to access photobooth related features, and a third first-level control item 2502 cenables the user to access additional features of the jukebox (which mayinclude, for example, karaoke features, access to legal or other rightsinformation, help functions, etc.). Some or all of these first-levelcontrol items 2502 a-2502 c may be expandable to enable furtherselections relevant to the specifically selected first-level controlitem. In the FIG. 25 example, the first first-level control item 2502 ais selected (and thus highlighted) and second-level items 2504 a-2504 dare shown in an expanded view along the lower bar area. Thesesecond-level items 2504 a-2504 d respectively enable a user to access acollection of playlists, a collection of “new and hot” items, acollection of genres, and a search interface. The functionality behindthese features will be understood from the descriptions herein.

In certain exemplary embodiments, all first-level control items 2502a-2502 c and all second-level items 2504 a-2504 d may be displayed atthe same time. Vertical sub-menus may be provided to enable access tosome other non-core jukebox related features (such as, for example,language, myTouchTunes, About TouchTunes, Help, etc.). In certainexemplary embodiments, from a navigation/action perspective, eachelement, when selected, may either open a submenu for the app (e.g., asshown for the second-level items 2504 a-2504 d) or, if no submenu isavailable, it instead may open the desired application in full screenmode (e.g., where the top and bottom bars are maintained, but the maincontent of the application, e.g., the photo booth application, takesover the main content area). Each button may rotate through severalpredefined applications such as, for example, photo booth, karaoke,games, etc.

FIG. 26 shows a carousel view superimposed on the FIG. 25 example layoutin accordance with an exemplary embodiment. The carousel view in theFIG. 26 example includes different playlists, which may becustom-curated as indicated above. An indication of the venue (CoyoteUgly in this example) is provided, as is a larger search icon. Theplaylists are represented by tiles, and a user may navigate among thetiles by pressing an arrow button to the left or right, or by swipingleft or right with a pointing device, finger, or the like, e.g., inembodiments where touch screen display devices are used. FIG. 27 showsan updated carousel view, e.g., after a user has “flipped through” atleast some of the tiles from FIG. 26, in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment.

The contents of each tile may be based on the content of each underlyingplaylist that the tile represents. Image and/or text may be provided.For instance, the “Electronic” playlist features includes music fromartists including Lady Gaga, Daft Punk, Kanye West, and Miley Cyrus,etc. Thus, text and image information is shown in the tile in thisexample. As shown in the FIG. 26 example, an image for each featuredartist is displayed in a predefined format (e.g., a triangular area).These images may be related to the artists but need not necessarily betied to “album art.” For instance, an image of Miley Cyrus taken duringher “Bangerz” tour may be displayed, a picture of Kanye West with KimKardashian and/or North West may be displayed, etc. Even though theseimages might not be associated with the underlying albums, theynonetheless might “resonate” or otherwise convey meaning andcustomization to fans. These images may be updatable, e.g., by a centralmusic department, by the artist, by a record label, etc., so as tocontinue to be meaningful. The ability to update image data and/orplaylist content makes for more dynamic content that is meaningful anddelivered in a relevant timeframe. For instance, in certain exemplaryembodiments, the playlists and/or contents thereof might change, e.g.,as current events unfold, thereby suggesting that different text and/orimage information should be displayed for the same or differentplaylists. For instance, Michael Jackson's death might have beenassociated with a customized playlist that was relevant for an amount oftime while there was still “buzz” associated with his death, an image ofMiley Cyrus' tongue might have been relevant following her 2013 VMAperformance, and currently Mick Jagger might stay in the news for a fewweeks following the apparent suicide of his longtime lover L'Wren Scott.As another example, although Katy Perry has remained atop the pop chartsand “in the news,” the reasons for her doing so may have changed—andthus the artwork may change from images associated with her “Roar” musicvideo to her “Dark Horse” while being tied into her Prismatic Tourand/or her efforts towards being named artist of the year and/or earningsong of the year award at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. It thus will beappreciated that the images in certain exemplary embodiments may belongto a label or other party but need not necessarily be from a particularalbum—and such non-album art images may be used in any suitable locationin the example user interfaces described herein.

In certain exemplary embodiments, a central storage location may hostimage information, playlist information, and/or the like. Structuredinformation (e.g., an XML file, a database, etc.) and/or the likeincluding the contents of the playlists, the images that map up with theentries therein, flagged items selected to constitute the playlists'respective tiles, etc., may be used in this regard. This information maybe downloaded by individual jukeboxes at predefined intervals and/or ondemand, may be pushed to jukeboxes upon updates and/or triggers from anauthorized source, etc.

In the FIG. 26 example, each tile includes a tile image and a title bar.The image may be dynamically generated by using the following examplerules. If a manual image is chosen by an authorized user, then thatimage should be displayed. This image can be a full takeover of thecontainer, or just use the space of the image with a dynamicallygenerated title bar, etc. If no manual image has been defined for apiece of content on the carousel, then the system may default to finding“featured art” from a song within the content's list and displaying thatalong with the dynamic title bar. That image may be selected at random,based on the first item appearing in the playlist, based on the mostpopular item in the playlist (e.g., in terms of play on the jukeboxnetwork, radio play, play at the location, etc.). If no art has beenmarked as “featured,” then the carousel may select the most popular songfrom the list and display that song's album art with the dynamic titlebar. The title bar in the FIG. 26 example is the dynamically generated“black bar” that overlays the image and displays up several lines oftext. The number of songs in the collection is displayed in thisexample.

FIG. 28 shows an update to the FIG. 27 example screen that may be madewhen a new song is added to the queue, in accordance with certainexemplary embodiments. That is, the “now playing” indication 310 may beat least temporarily replaced with an indication of the newly added item310′. In this case, text indicating the artist and the song is providedtogether with an image related to same. Again, this image need notnecessarily be “album art,” although it might be in certain exemplaryembodiments (e.g., it might be album art associated with the first songin the playlist in certain exemplary embodiments). The way in which itwas added to the queue might also be indicated. For instance, in theFIG. 28 example, an indication is provided that the song was added via amobile app, rather than by the jukebox itself. In certain exemplaryembodiments, the fact that a mobile app was used may be advertised,whereas the fact that the jukebox itself was used may not be. This mayraise awareness of the mobile app and encourage others to download it,e.g., to sign up and become registered jukebox users, etc. If the userwho made a selection is a registered user, the user's name, nickname,avatar, and/or other identifier may be displayed. This may be the caseregardless of whether the selection was made at the jukebox, via amobile device, etc., in certain exemplary embodiments. In otherexemplary embodiments, the user's identifier will not be displayed ifthe user makes the selection from the jukebox. In certain exemplaryembodiments, registered users might elect to opt out of or into havingtheir names or other identifiers displayed upon selections being madeand added to the queue.

If a user selects the “now playing” indication 310 or the indication ofthe newly added item 310′, or selects the arrow to the left of it incertain exemplary embodiments, a portion of the jukebox queue may berevealed, e.g., as shown in FIG. 29. That is, FIG. 29 is an examplescreenshot showing the FIG. 28 screen being modified to accommodate apartial queue reveal, in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments.As will be appreciated from a comparison between FIG. 28 and FIG. 29,the FIG. 28 screen is “shifted to the right” to make room for therevealed queue area. A user may “close” the revealed queue area byselecting the playing next element, an element in the right side of thescreen, “dragging” to the left through the touch or other interface, byselecting a dedicated close button for the revealed queue area, etc. Thejukebox may in certain exemplary embodiments reveal details about apredetermined number of elements in the queue “for free.” This mayinclude, for example, some or all of song/artist information, images,beats per minute, etc. In certain exemplary embodiments, the user mayneed to provide credits to see additional songs and/or additionaldetails of the songs. That is, certain exemplary embodiments may showfull details for the next X songs in the queue, partial details for Ysongs thereafter, even less information for Z songs thereafter, and noinformation beyond that point. However, a user may pay additionalcredits to reveal more and more information in different exemplaryembodiments.

As shown in the FIG. 29 example, information about the next five songsis provided. The information includes song and artist name, and artworkassociated with the song and/or artist. Similar to the above, anindication of the manner in which the song was selected (e.g., viamobile device) may be displayed as well, in certain exemplaryembodiments. In certain exemplary embodiments, a user may scroll up ordown to access songs to be played after and songs already played beforethese five items. In certain exemplary embodiments, if a user tries tosee more than five items in the queue, it will show part of the sixthitem, but then snap back to the view showing the five next items in thequeue. The ability to access already played songs may be beneficial forusers who are unable to identify songs but who nonetheless are able toaccess a jukebox to “look up” previously played songs. FIG. 30, forexample, shows the previously played songs. This previously played songinformation may be provided for free in certain exemplary embodiments.Information for upcoming plays may be retrieved from the jukebox queuestored locally on the jukebox in certain exemplary embodiments.Information regarding previous plays may be retrieved from a listing ofplayed songs that also is used in connection with royalty and/oraccounting functions, a running copy of the queue that is cleared out atregular intervals (e.g., upon a location closing, at a set time whenupdates to the jukebox are provided, when royalty and/or accountinginformation is transmitted to a central server, etc.).

In certain exemplary embodiments, if there are not enough songs for thequeue to fit the five slots, then the empty slot may be replaced by agrey box. If there are zero songs in the queue and a user clicks theshow queue button, then the show queue area may still expand but amessage may be provided that prompts the user to search for a song andadd it to the queue. Selection of this button may then minimize thequeue and allow a user to continue to browse the music experience.

FIG. 31 is a search screen similar to that shown in and described abovein connection with FIG. 4, and FIG. 32 is an example search resultsscreen in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. As shown in FIG. 32,separate linear arrangements of tiles 3202 a-3202 b are shown for songsand artists. The control elements 3204 may be used to control whetherboth linear arrangements of tiles 3202 a-3202 b are shown for songs andartists, whether only the songs array 3202 a is shown, or whether the3202 b is shown. A user may select the songs tile 3206 a or the artiststile 3206 b to accomplish a similar result. The search results may bescrolled left and right, either on an independent row-by-row basis ortogether as one element, in different exemplary embodiments.

As an example of this behavior, FIG. 33 shows an enlarged artistsdisplay in accordance with an exemplary embodiment, e.g., as if theartists tile 3206 b were selected or the corresponding element wereselected from the control elements 3204. As will be appreciated fromthis display, a user the tile 3206 b′ is expanded to reflect that bothrows of results include artists rather than songs.

As will be discerned from FIGS. 32-33, the search term is “EL” and thesearch results include this string. The results are not, however, listedin alphabetical order in all exemplary embodiments. Instead, the searchresults may be prioritized to take into account a number of differentoptions. For instance, search results may be manipulated based on on-and/or off-site analytics and/or to reflect promotions run by a musicdepartment, a label, an individual venue, etc. A music department mightunderstand that there is a lot of buzz associated with the Eli YoungBand, that there almost always is interest in the music of ElvisPresley, and that Latin music is oftentimes played at a particularlocation. The search results thus are “optimized” so that the Eli YoungBand and Elvis Presley tiles appear early on in the results list, whileLatin artists including the text string “EL” are given priority overnon-Latin artists. The remainder of the contents may be populated with“normal” alphabetical search results. In this way, it is perhaps morelikely that users will more likely encounter music that they are likelyto want to listen to, e.g., because the music is attracting buzz,because it oftentimes is played at a specific location, etc. It thuswill be appreciated that certain exemplary embodiments may implement asmart search that helps show promoted songs first, and in which thesearch results vary based on the popularity of songs within theparticular venue.

FIGS. 34-35 are example screens showing adaptive completion of search inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment. As will be appreciated, asadditional characters are entered, some results will fade out and othersmay fade in to take their place. As more and more text is entered intothe search area and the results become fewer and fewer, tile replacementmay fall off and tile removal may take place. The FIG. 34 example showstile replacement and limited tile removal. In the FIG. 35 example, thereis one exact match, and that is all that is shown because of thespecificity of the search string coupled with the lack of “good” or highmatching results.

FIG. 36 is an example artist-specific page, in accordance with certainexemplary embodiments. The FIG. 36 screen may be reached by selectingEllie Goulding from the artist listing in FIG. 35. When this happens,even though Ke$ha's music is still playing, Ke$ha's image as thebackground is replaced with an Ellie Goulding related image that may ormay not be associated with album art. Other changes are made, as well,e.g., when an artist-specific page is displayed. For example,recommended related artists also are identified and may be selectedusing control elements 3602 a-3602 c. The list of recommended relatedartists may be determined in any suitable manner. For example, analyticsgathered from jukebox usage, album and/or song sales, etc., may be usedto cluster together related artists and/or albums. Musical styles (e.g.,in terms of beats per minute, instrumentation, vocals, overall general“sound,” artists in a specific sub-genre like “Boy Bands” or the like,etc.), proximity in release date information, news media associations(e.g., for duets or crossovers such as between Taylor Swift and EdSheeran, competitors for the same or similar award such as best artistor vocal group, current and/or former musical “couples” like JustinBieber and Selena Gomez, groups who tour together like Lady Antebellumand Kacey Musgraves, “spinoff groups” like the Pistol Annies and MirandaLambert or David Lee Roth and Van Halen, etc.), artists on the samelabel, and/or the like alternatively or additionally may be used to formassociations and recommendations. Thus, it will be appreciated thatcombinations of empirical data and more subjective feelings may be usedby a music department, label, or other party to make suchrecommendations. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, ifa different artist is selected using one of the control elements 3602a-3602 c, the screen will be updated accordingly.

The songs performed by the artist may be listed in a song list 3604, andthe albums associated with the artist may be listed in an album list3606. An indication of the number of songs is provided, as is anindication of how many credits are required for a play of a particularsong. The “play” buttons in the list may be used to activate playscreens. Indication such as, for example, the new tag 3608 may be usedto highlight promoted or otherwise featured items. Other tags such as,for example, “featured,” “hot,” “sponsored,” and/or the like may be usedas well. Meta information may be associated with the songs and specifydetails such as, for example, what tag should be applied, a relevanttimeframe for which the tag should be displayed, etc.

The songs in the song list 3604 are shown as being sorted by popularity.Popularity may be measured by an objective measure such as, for example,airplay, downloads, place on charts, sales, etc. The popularity sortingapproach may be further modified, for example, such that promoted songsappear towards the top of the list, regardless of actual popularity (andregardless of how popularity is measured). This may be advantageous, forexample, for a new song for which a large amount of buzz is generatedbut which has not made its way to the top of the charts, etc., but mightperhaps do so. More subjective measures may also be helpful for artistswhose careers span long periods of time and for which more objectivepopularity measures might not be indicative of what users might belooking for. For instance, U2's “Invisible” might currently be morepopular than some of its older songs, e.g., in terms of position on theBillboard Charts, but it is not as classic as “Pride (In the Name ofLove)” or “One”—and a person accessing U2's artist page could run into asituation where they still would not have found what they were lookingfor if a more subjective reordering were not implemented. Other orderingtechniques may be used. For instance, as shown in FIG. 37, a drop downmenu 3702 may be used so that songs may be ordered by release date,alphabetically, and/or the like. In this regard, FIG. 38 includes areordered song list 3604′ that is now sorted alphabetically.

The user may shift the focus of the screen to the right to view furtherdetail of the album list 3606 that is only partially shown in FIG. 36,for example. In this regard, FIG. 39 is an example screen showing anexpanded album view, in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments.The expanded album view example shown in FIG. 36 indicates that thereare four total Ellie Goulding albums from which selections may be made.The albums may be arranged in any order such as, for example, date ofrelease, popularity (e.g., as measured by one of the above-describedand/or other measures), in accordance with promotions, etc. In the FIG.36 example, the “Lights” album is expanded in area 3902 so as to reveala scrollable listing of songs on that album that are available forplayback, and non-selected albums appear in a more condensed format inarea 3904.

If a different album is selected, then as shown in FIG. 40, thepreviously expanded area 3902 is condensed into first condensed 3904 a,the remaining unselected elements are shown in second condensed area3904 b, and the newly expanded area 3902′ is provided for the selectedexample. Thus, the scrollable list of songs is shown in this newlyexpanded area 3902′, and reordering of the albums is not performed inthis exemplary embodiment. In other exemplary embodiments, reorderingmay be performed, e.g., so that the expanded album is always shown inthe left-most area 3902 of FIG. 39, for instance.

FIG. 41 is an example screen showing playlist being organized in tileviews, in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments. In certainexemplary embodiments, the playlists screen may include all playliststhat are not in “new & hot” or “genres” sections. Playlists may includecollections of artists, songs, and/or albums and may have an associatedtag (e.g., to indicate a new, hot, sponsored, featured, or other label).The playlists in this example are separated as featured playlists,playlists including songs in different decades, playlists includingsongs in different genres, and/or the like. User developed playlists mayalso be shown therein, e.g., if such playlists are designated as publicplaylists, meet the requirements of an optional screening process,receive a certain number of positive votes, and/or the like. The artworkassociated with a playlist may be controlled by the music department andneed not necessarily be associated with the songs included in thatplaylist. The Billboard Top 100 playlist in the FIG. 40 example includesa picture of Miley Cyrus, but this picture is not associated with albumart and is different from the image shown when this playlist is selected(e.g., as will be appreciated form FIG. 41 below).

As explained in detail above, the playlists may be custom-curated setsof songs developed outside of the venue in which the jukebox is located.The Billboard Top 100 playlist comes from an easily recognizable source.On the other hand, the “Class Country Songs” playlist may be developedby the music department. Playlist generation in this regard may be basedon a number of factors such as, for example, popularity at the specificjukebox, popularity across all jukeboxes in the network, hand-pickedsongs promoted by a label, and/or the like. For instance, classic JohnnyCash songs like “Ring of Fire” and “Folsom Prison Blues” likely would bepresent in this list based on network popularity, as would Patsy Cline's“Crazy.” A venue in Tennessee might indicate the popularity of certainTennessee-related classic country songs like the Osborne Brothers'rendition of “Rocky Top,” Alabama's “Dixieland Delight” and “TennesseeRiver,” and/or the like. In addition, John Denver songs like “CountryRoads” and “Rocky Mountain High” might be included to help promoteSpecial Consensus' bluegrass tribute album.

In certain exemplary embodiments, the songs selected for inclusion in aplaylist may be selected in a defined percentage as between differentcategories of songs. For instance, A % of the songs in a playlist may bebased on network-wide jukebox popularity, B % of the songs in thatplaylist may be based on jukebox-specific popularity, and C % of thesongs in that playlist may be “pushed” by a label or other promoter. TheA % of songs could be those songs that are trending and a user willrecognize as such, the B % of songs may help to maintain the overallfeel of the venue and help preserve its unique identity, and the C % ofsongs may relate to songs that are likely to be heard on the radio orencountered in other “media channels” or where promos are likely to berun, etc. In certain exemplary embodiments, self-populating playlistsmay be distributed to jukeboxes based on rules defining percentages andwith input from a central server regarding at least the A % and C %songs for inclusion therein. The B % songs may be selected locally, orwith localized analytics provided by the central server or the like.Thus, it will be appreciated that certain exemplary embodiments combinecentrally programmed promoted songs, genre-based songs that are popularacross the jukebox distribution network, and locally popular songs thatmatch the playlist's attributes (such as, for example, genre, similarartist, similar timeframe, etc.).

It thus will be appreciated that the tile-based grid shown in the FIG.41 example screen and the carousel display of the FIG. 26 examplescreen, for instance, may in essence correspond to a presentation systemthat allows external parties (e.g., operators, bartenders, patrons,music departments, labels, registered users, featured DJs, etc.) tocreate playlists and populate them. The functionality of certainexemplary embodiments may be facilitated by implementing a cloud-basedmusic merchandizing system, wherein an operator and/or venue proprietorcan select a profile for the jukebox and receive updates to playlistsbased upon that profile. Local and/or coarser data analytics, togetherwith optional subjective feedback from authorized users, may be used todistribute tiles of collections of media and customize the contenttherein.

Referring once again to the drawings, and FIG. 41 in particular,additional user interface elements are provided on this screen thatmight be provided on other screens as well. For instance, a horizontalscroll bar 4102 is shown so that the user knows the current relativeposition in the displayed list. A drop-down list 4104 may be used tosort or otherwise filter the elements (in this case, the playlists and,for example, to show only genres, new and hot lists, decades of music,etc.). Tiles may have meta-tags associated with them, e.g., tofacilitate sorting and/or grouping actions appropriate for here andelsewhere. Control element 4106 may be used to switch between grid andcarousel views.

In certain exemplary embodiments, a horizontal scroll bar may bedisplayed on every page except for the main “home page,” e.g., shown inFIG. 26. In a carousel view, the items may loop, and similar looping mayoccur in a grid view. Thus, the scroll bar may jump from far left to farright, or vice versa, depending on whether there is a looping action.

FIG. 42 is an example screen that may be displayed once a playlist isselected. More particularly, the FIG. 42 example screen reflects theselection of the Billboard Top 100 playlist. As can be seen, the art forMiley Cyrus is inconsistent between FIG. 41 and FIG. 42.

FIG. 43 is an example screen similar to that shown in FIG. 22, but isfor Bruno Mars and includes album art for his Doo-Wops and Hooligansalbum. If that album is selected, then the FIG. 44 example screen may bedisplayed. It will be appreciated that this example screen is similar tothat described above in connection with FIG. 39.

FIG. 45 is an example “new and hot” screen, in accordance with certainexemplary embodiments. The new and hot screen of certain exemplaryembodiments may be thought of as being another set of playlists.However, it may be thought of as a “super meta category” that pullstagged playlists appropriate for new and hot musical collections (e.g.,as would be appropriate for groupings of songs based onindustry-recognized charts, local jukebox usage, song plays across thenetwork, etc.).

FIGS. 46-47 are example genre views in accordance with certain exemplaryembodiments. Similar to the playlists screen and the new and hot screen,playlists for genres are displayed and selectable through the carouseland/or grid views. One difference in this particular example, however,relates to the lines of text that are displayed in the individual tiles.In this regard, the first line of text may name the genre that the songsare included therein, whereas the second line of text may pick the mostpopular artists, albums, and/or the like (e.g., up to 4a predefinednumber such as, for example, four, and depending on how long the namesare) and display text such as, for example, “Featuring ARTIST 1 Name,ARTIST 2 Name, etc.”, and/or the like. Alternatively, or in addition,tagged songs that are related to a promotion, featured by the musicdepartment, etc., may be identified in the second line of text. Tags maybe used to indicate new, sponsored, featured, hot, and/or other itemshere as well. Genres may or may not be split into sub-genres and, thus,filter options may or may not be displayed in certain exemplaryembodiments. FIG. 46 is an example carousel view, and FIG. 47 is anexample grid view. In the grid view, the second line of text thatdisplays featured content within the genre playlist is not displayed,e.g., to save space.

As indicated above, certain exemplary embodiments may implement photobooth features. Conventional photo booths have the advantage of anenclosed space and a seat for the subject. The presence of the enclosureand the known location of the subject(s) enables conventional photobooth image capture algorithms to make certain assumptions useful inimage capture and processing. For instance, the enclosed booth with theinternal flash allows for the exposure to be very predictable. Internallight will dominate the color space and allow for simple white balancecorrection. In addition, the seat for the subject, combined with thephysical constraints of the photo booth, helps restrict the distancefrom the focal plane to a very small range and easily positions thesubject's face. These known quantities help solve problems inportraiture.

Conventional digital cameras and cell phones use a different techniqueto determine exposure, white balance, spot focus point, and/or the like.For instance, a viewfinder is presented to the photographer with asuggested focus point and a proposed use of flash, if necessary ordesired. It oftentimes is up to the photographer to accept the focalpoint, or to reposition the focus point on another face within thecomposition. Once satisfied with the settings, the photographer pressesthe shutter button, touches the capture button within the cell phoneapplication, etc., and the picture is taken with the now-knownproperties.

Taking photographs in open space in a machine-driven manner is complexand a number of problems are presented. First, ambient light normallydominates and delivers an environment with unpredictable colortemperature. Second, people may position themselves in groups far fromthe camera focal plane or as individuals very close to the focal plane.These two unpredictable elements make taking a picture with appropriateexposure, color temperature, and focus very difficult, especially ascompared to conventional photo booths and digital cameras and cellphones.

Certain exemplary embodiments help solve these problems and enable highquality pictures to be taken. In certain exemplary embodiments, a usertouches the screen to start picture-taking operations, and an algorithmguides the performance of subsequent operations.

In a first step, a determination is made as to whether the subject isfront-lit or backlit. By comparing the relative luminosity of what is inthe background and the luminosity of objects in the foreground, forexample, is possible to determine whether more light is being reflectedfrom the subjects or from background objects. This determination may beused in governing parameters such as, for example, the amount of gainused in the viewfinder reflecting the subject images, the luminosity ofany flash to be applied, and the post-processing luminosity and whitebalance adjustments.

In a second step, program logic helps locate the faces of likelysubjects and spot meter the faces.

In a third step, depending on the luminosity of the metered face, thepreviously determined lighting state (front-lit or backlit) is used incalculating an optimized combination of flash and gain.

In a fourth step, the flash intensity is raised to confirm facepositions, focus is locked for a predetermined amount of time (e.g., for5 to 10 frames or approximately 10 ms), and the image is capture.

In a fifth step, based on the ambient lighting state and the resultingluminosity of the captured image, a final white balance curve is appliedto color correct the captured image.

In addition to the software process applied to take an automated picturein an uncontrolled environment, certain exemplary embodiments useadditional techniques to create a flash powerful enough to light a muchlarger space while still using a very small LED light, without causingthat LED light to overheat. LEDs typically are only 17% efficient and assuch generally require appropriate surrounding materials to provide thelight to the field of view and with a dispersion suitable for lightingthe likely subject area substantially evenly and without bleeding intoareas outside of the composition. Lenses, while able to focus the image,are sometimes difficult to manufacture and, depending on the lens, canreduce light throughput. Thus, certain exemplary embodiments use animproved lens-less LED light as a flash.

Some conventional LEDs use an external phosphorous coating that createsa yellowish image that presents undesirable aesthetics in the capturedimages. Thus, in attempting to create a lens-less LED light, adisadvantageous cosmetic look may appear, particularly where itotherwise might be desirable to position the LED light behind a clearlens while providing a sleek black finish. It thus would be desirable toconceal the LED light without losing luminosity but while stillproviding a more natural and/or less yellowish color, even in daylight.

Certain exemplary embodiments address this issue through a combinationof enclosing the LED light in an angular baffle that provides sufficientreflectivity inside and allows for controlled light dispersion. Thisbaffle may be located behind a transparent mirrored film that, when theLED is off, reflects the light on the exterior of the device but whenthe LED light is illuminated provides an efficient flash. The baffle maybe constructed with a mechanical heat sink sufficient to keep the LEDcool through both brief 100% flash cycles and extended 40% lightingcycles (which may be used, for example, in longer video capturesequences). In certain exemplary embodiments, a mirrored baffle may beused in combination with a heat sink and a protective clear coatingwithin the jukebox, e.g., in a lens-less LED flash environment.

Certain exemplary embodiments may use a modified version of the LeopardLI-720USBAF-TT camera, which is controlled via the USB Video deviceClass (UVC) interface through a limited set of controls, which setcamera mode and operating parameters. The following table lists examplecamera parameters for front-lit and backlit use cases that were found tobe most advantageous in high- and low-light scenarios. Moreparticularly, optimizations were performed assuming full and low powerflash settings for front-lit dark indoor stills/high-quality video andlow-quality video, as well as full and low power flash settings forbacklit “daylight” stills/high-quality video and low-quality video.Aside from the headers, the bolded values indicate parameters thatchange between modes.

Parameter Front-lit Values Backlit Values Mode MJPG MJPG Resolution 1280× 720 1280 × 720 Frame Rate 30 fps 30 fps Brightness 0 0 Contrast 123123 Saturation 110 110 Hue 0 0 White Balance Temperature, Auto 1(enabled) 1 (enabled) Gamma 6 10 Gain 70 110 Power Line Frequency 50Hz/60 Hz 50 Hz/60 Hz (as appropriate (as appropriate for country) forcountry) Sharpness 120 80 Backlit Compensation 0 2 Exposure, AutoAperture Priority Aperture Priority Focus, Auto 1 (enabled) 1 (enabled)Focus (absolute) Not set Not set

With respect to the choice of gain, exposure, and backlit compensation,it was found that front-lit subjects typically will have overexposedfaces whereas backlit subjects typically will have underexposed faces.However, tuning can be adjusted to bring the faces (especially) intocorrect exposure, and this can be achieved by reducing gain forfront-lit scenes, and increasing gain and also using backlitcompensation for backlit scenes.

Sharpness was determined subjectively, by considering the accuracy ofdetail and texture in the images at varying sharpness settings.

The following formulae may be used in determining whether the sceneshould be front-lit or backlit:

${frontlit} = {\frac{{brightness}\mspace{14mu} {of}\mspace{14mu} {face}\mspace{14mu} {ROI}}{{frame}\mspace{14mu} {brightness}} > {thresh}}$${backlit} = {\frac{{bright}\; {ness}\mspace{14mu} {of}\mspace{14mu} {face}\mspace{14mu} {ROI}}{{frame}\mspace{14mu} {brightness}} \leq {thresh}}$

This determination may be made while the algorithm is detecting faces.In this vein, the algorithm may take all of the detected face regionsand choose the primary face region as the face closest to the imagecenter. For this identified primary face, the brightness is computed asthe sum of all pixels in this Region of Interest (ROI). The figure isnormalized by the brightness of the whole frame.

As alluded to above, two intensities are used for the flash, namely,full power and low power. Full power is used for still capture andhigh-quality video scenes, and is the same in front-lit and backlitmodes. Low power is used for continuous (low-quality) video, again thesame in front-lit or backlit modes. In this case, full power mode sets aflash current of 250 mA, and low power mode sets a flash current of 100mA. These settings were selected to balance image quality againstthermal management and user comfort.

It will of course be appreciated that other LED lights/light packagesmay be used, and that optimizations may be performed accordingly.

The user interfaces described herein may be used in connection with anysuitable jukebox device, an example design of one of which is disclosedin U.S. application Ser. No. 29/477,654, filed Dec. 24, 2013, which isincorporated by reference herein. FIG. 48 is an example frontperspective view of this example jukebox. The FIG. 48 example jukeboxmay be attached to a stand, e.g., of the type disclosed in U.S.application Ser. No. 29/485,933, filed on Mar. 25, 2014, the entirecontents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. It willbe appreciated that the angular design of this example jukebox mayextend into the stand and support structure in certain exampleembodiments.

The jukebox, upper housing, lower housing, face(s) (e.g., the upperfront face, the lower front face, etc.), LED lights and/or LED lightingelement(s), camera, payment collector(s), display area, frames(including, for instance, the joining frame between the upper and lowerhousings, the frame in the display, etc.), and/or the like, shown in the'654 application may be implemented in any combination, sub-combination,and/or in any combination of sub-combinations. In this vein, the paymentacceptors may be reversed, two or more of one type of payment acceptormay be provided with zero or one of another type of payment acceptor isprovided, two or more of both types of payment acceptors may beprovided, and/or the like. In addition, in certain example embodiments,at least partially translucent and/or at least partially reflectivesurfaces may be provided on the jukebox (e.g., at the top, bottom,right, and/or left surfaces of the rear housing, etc.).

LED lighting elements may be provided around the exterior of thejukebox, which may provided for interesting and aesthetically pleasingdisplays during low-light time periods. However, the reflective surfacesmay be desirable in certain example embodiments from an aestheticviewpoint where there is more ambient light. It will be appreciated thatthese surfaces may in essence be two-way mirrors, e.g., such that lightfrom the LEDs can be seen when activated (e.g., at nighttime) and sothat the jukebox appears interesting during the daytime or when thelights are turned up in the venue.

In certain example embodiments, the audio wiring may monitor theelectrical properties of the connection, e.g., to ensure that the properimpedance, resistance, voltage, etc., is coming across the line. Thismay help inform the operator and/or location personnel that the houseaudio system might have been wired incorrectly. From a performanceperspective, the source of buzz, pops, and/or the like may be moreeasily identified and potentially diagnosed.

Certain example embodiments may incorporate auxiliary input monitoringtechniques. See, for example, U.S. Publication No. 2013/0179980, theentire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

Certain exemplary embodiments may incorporate a removable “core” inconnection with such example jukeboxes. The core may in certainimplementations house all or substantially all control electronicsand/or components including, for example, a motherboard, audio mixer,amplifier, pre-amp., processor, memory, non-transitory computer readablemedia storing the catalog of local songs (e.g., a hard disk drive, solidstate drive, flash drive, and/or the like), network interface card,display card, etc. The core may also include a flat panel display (e.g.,an LCD, plasma display, and/or the like), a touch screen, etc., as wellas a power supply and docking adapter. By providing an easily removablecore, if the jukebox suffers from a problem (e.g., an HDD failure, thedisplay being cracked, data being corrupted, a power supply failing,etc.), it becomes easy for an operator to simply open the jukebox,remove the core, and insert a new core in its place. In one exampleimplementation, the core weighs less than about 30 pounds and can becarried in a specially designed (e.g., appropriately sized and shaped)backpack, carrying case, or the like. Once the core is shipped back tothe manufacturer, the manufacturer may open it up, perform the desiredrepairs, refurbish the core, and send it back into the field, ifpossible.

Features of an example removable core will be explained in connectionwith FIGS. 49-59. In this regard, FIG. 49 is a front elevation view ofan example enclosed core that may be used in the FIG. 48 examplejukebox, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 49 shows themain display screen and a narrow bezel around it. The core is designedto fit into the jukebox shell, and this exemplary embodiment includes aplurality of locating features and a latch that helps secure the core inplace and make the desired electrical connections.

FIG. 50 is a bottom plan view of the example core shown in FIG. 49, andshows a hole or opening in the core for accommodating a latch providedin the jukebox shell's interior. As will be appreciated from FIG. 50, aplurality of connectors are provided (e.g., for connecting with thedisplay, a network connection, a power supply, etc., and at least someof these connectors may be “loose” or “floating” such that some play isallowed as the core is guided into or out of place and as connectionsare made or as the components are disconnected.

FIG. 51 is a right side elevation view of the example core shown in FIG.49, and FIG. 52 is a rotated version of FIG. 51. The left side view maybe substantially the mirror of the right side view. Thus, on the sides,right-left alignment guides (e.g., facilitating the left-to-rightalignment in the shell) may be provided, as may be top and bottom“keyhole” locks. A slide support member may be provided on each side sothat corresponding features on the shell engage with them and helpreceive the core into the shell. An area where the core may rest on across-beam or structural member of the core also is identified.

FIG. 53 is a front perspective view of the interior of the FIG. 48example jukebox, ready to receive the example core of FIG. 49. Bracketsmay be provided at the top and bottom of the shell so that when the topand bottom slides are received into the top and slide supports, thebrackets provide a suitably strong connection with the outer area tohold the core and shell in position relative to one another. Thecross-beam member where the core rests is shown, as is the latch. Alever may be used to adjust between latched and unlatched positions, anda foot of the latch may help push the core out of place (e.g., away fromthe cross-beam member) when the core is being removed. Guide pins mayhelp locate the more fine features once the core is basically put intoplace and latched into the shell. The FIG. 53 view shows a hingedarrangement at the left side for the front face plates, etc.

FIGS. 54-59 show the core being latched into place using a lever, inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment. They also show the core slidingon the bottom support and along alignment guides such that goodelectrical, electromechanical, and/or other connections are formed. Moreparticularly, FIG. 54 is a front elevation view of the FIG. 48 examplejukebox with a section line referenced in FIGS. 55-56; FIG. 55 is across-sectional view through the section line shown in FIG. 54, with theexample core of FIG. 49 being located in the jukebox shell and with thelever in an unlocked or “core up” position; and FIG. 56 is across-sectional view through the section line shown in FIG. 54, with theexample core of FIG. 49 being located in the jukebox shell and with thelever in a locked or “core latched” position. FIG. 57 is a frontelevation view of the FIG. 48 example jukebox with a section linereferenced in FIGS. 58-59; FIG. 58 is a cross-sectional view through thesection line shown in FIG. 57, with the example core of FIG. 49 beinglocated in the jukebox shell and with the lever in the unlocked or “coreup” position; and FIG. 59 is a cross-sectional view through the sectionline shown in FIG. 57, with the example core of FIG. 49 being located inthe jukebox shell and with the lever in the locked or “core latched”position.

Because the core is sealed, cooling may take place from outside of it,e.g., via external ventilation means such as fans, heat sinks, and/orthe like. Temperatures may be taken from a number of different locationsinside of or proximate to the core, e.g., to know which cooling means toactivate, and when to activate/deactivate them. In certain exemplaryembodiments, a fan tray may be placed near the top of the jukebox shell,e.g., to provide cooling to at least some of the components in the coreand/or the core itself. An example fan tray assembly is shown anddescribed in connection with FIGS. 60-68. It will of course beappreciated that the fan tray may be repositioned in different exemplaryembodiments (e.g., to the bottom of the shell, at the cross-beam member,behind the core (e.g., at the back of the jukebox), etc., in certainexemplary embodiments. It also will be appreciation that multiple fantrays may be used in these and/or other example positions in certainexemplary embodiments.

FIG. 60 is a front perspective view of a fan tray that may be used inconnection with the FIG. 48 example jukebox, in accordance with anexemplary embodiment; and FIG. 61 shows the range of movement ofcomponents in the FIG. 60 example fan tray. FIG. 62 is a top plan viewof the FIG. 60 example fan tray, showing the electronic fan controllerthereof. As will be appreciated form these views, the tray may bestationary as small (e.g., 80 mm) fans positioned at opposing ends ofthe tray pivot back and forth. A small electronic fan controller may belocated in the tray, e.g., to cause the fans to turn on/off, rotate,etc., e.g., in response to input from a thermal sensor. In this regard,FIG. 63 is a front elevation view of the FIG. 60 example fan tray, andshows a small thermal sensor configured to detect the temperature of orproximate to the amplifier built into the core. FIG. 64 is a bottom planview of the FIG. 60 example fan tray, and shows that a simple magnet maybe usable to locate the fan tray in the box, cause rotation, etc.

FIGS. 65-68 show the fan tray assembly being located in the shell. Thatis, FIG. 65 is a front perspective view of the FIG. 60 example fan traylocated in the jukebox shell; FIG. 66 is a front elevation view of theFIG. 48 example jukebox with section lines referenced in FIGS. 67-68;FIG. 67 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 66 taken through the A-A line;and FIG. 68 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 66 taken through the C-Cline.

As indicated above, an operator might select a profile for a jukeboxfrom a predefined list of profiles. Doing so may cause the jukebox toretrieve particular playlists or the like. Profiles may be created froman existing profile or “from scratch.” With respect to the former, anexisting profile that is close to the profile being created is located,a child profile is created from the selected parent, basic information(e.g., name, description, basic settings, etc.) is entered, and the tilesets and playlist categories to copy or inherit are specified. Withrespect to the latter, basic information (e.g., of the type identifiedabove) is entered, and tile lists for the home carousel and playlistgrid are filled with tiles. Public and/or private profile names,descriptions, and/or the like may be specified, as may a defaultlanguage, pricing scheme, etc.

A profile may be built up by adding tiles and tile lists. Tiles may beone of four types, namely, songs, albums, artists, and playlists, incertain exemplary embodiments. Tiles may be searched for and then added.Quick searches may be used, e.g., to identify a profile based on acommon name, ID, or the like. More advanced searches based on artist,song, album, playlist, tiles, etc., may be used, as well. In certainexemplary embodiments, for non-tile search results, a create tile screenmay be displayed, and the user may have an opportunity to build aspecific tile around the selected searched for item. Search results maybe filtered, ordered, and/or searched, etc., in different exemplaryembodiments. Filtering may be performed, for example, based on metadatatags such as, for example, genre, style, mood, tempo, explicit, edited,lyric verified, and/or sub-categories thereof. In certain exemplaryembodiments, elements that are collections of other elements (e.g.,albums, which are collections of songs) may be expanded, and items atany level of granularity may be selected in different exemplaryembodiments. Alternatively, or in addition, tiles may be built, e.g.,using the example search techniques described above and/or otherapproaches. That is, tiles may be built “from scratch,” modeled off of aselected searched for tile or other item, etc. Search results and/orother displayed artist, album, song, Tile, profile, etc., may includeinformation including, for example, name/description, artist/type,status, number of elements in collection (if applicable), percentagepopularity, etc.

Tiles may be static or dynamic in different use cases, e.g., asindicated above. A static tile always points to the same content. Forinstance, if its type is song, it will always point to that same song.By contrast, a dynamic tile's content may change over time and, thus, itmay be useful in generating top music assets according to user specifiedcriteria (e.g., top number of elements of a given type over for adefined time period in a geographic area, etc.). A dynamic tile'scontent will be refreshed on a periodic and/or aperiodic basis (e.g.,based on a manual update), and this may be performed on a jukebox, at acentral server, or elsewhere. The same or similar basic information fora tile may be provided. Artwork for a tile may be generated based on itscontents (and may or may not correspond to album art), based onuser-provided images, etc. Tiles may be laid out with a specific format(e.g., 1 image, 2×2 images, etc., with or without customizable text,etc.).

Profiles may have different statuses assigned to them. Example statusesinclude draft (e.g., when the profile is first created, when a publishedprofile is modified, etc.), awaiting approval (e.g., when submitted forapproval and prior to being published to jukeboxes), and approved (e.g.,accepted by a central content checking authority and authorized forpublication to jukeboxes), published (e.g., which causes an update toany prior versions at a central server and/or at the jukeboxes, etc.),and/or the like.

In certain exemplary embodiments, profiles may be saved as structureddocuments (e.g., XML documents, JSON documents, etc.) that conform to apredefined schema. In certain exemplary embodiments, profiles may besaved as database entries (e.g., tables and/or the like in a relationalor other database, etc.). Pending and approved profiles, for example,may be saved to a central storage location and transmitted to jukeboxesthat wish to accept such profiles.

Sub-catalogs may be built from profiles, e.g., to filter out songs withexplicit lyrics, to include only edited songs, to include lyric verifiedcontent, etc., in certain exemplary embodiments. Genre, sub-genre, mood,style, beats per minute, age, etc., may also be used in sub-cataloggeneration.

FIG. 69 is an example profile details page that may be used in creatinga new profile in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. A new profilecould be created as a “top-level” profile for a territory, as asub-profile of a genre (e.g., Classic Rock as a sub-profile of Rock,“Boy Bands” as a sub-profile of Pop, etc.), etc. The hierarchicaltree-like structure shown at the left-hand side may be persistedthroughout the several views, e.g., allowing users to quickly jumpbetween profiles, tiles, playlists, etc. It also may supportdrag-and-drop operations in certain exemplary embodiments. Thehierarchical tree-like structure may be arranged as follows (at leastinitially):

Profile United States Subordinate Profile 1 Home Carousel BrowsePlaylists Grid Featured New & Hot Decades Etc. Video Subordinate Profile2 United Kingdom Canada Tiles New Tiles Archives Artists New ArtistsArchives Playlists Playlists New & Hot Genre Decades Etc. Videos NewVideos Archive

The sequencing of tiles and/or the like may be specified using the FIG.69 example screen. Alternatively, or in addition, the jukebox's localpopularity may control the sequencing, e.g., to favor more populartiles, etc. Primary and secondary sorting, etc., may be implemented,e.g., for sub-categories of tiles, etc. The ordering used for theprimary list need not be used in some or all of the secondary lists.

Profile analytics may include data for a current week and one or moreprior weeks. The number column indicates the number of jukeboxesassigned to the profile, the % WoW value provides a week-over-weekcomparison of the profile's total jukeboxes assigned to it, and the %YoY value provides similar comparison based on the same week last year.Similar information may be provided in tile analytics, as discussedelsewhere.

FIG. 70 a is an example screen that may be used to create a new profilein certain exemplary embodiments. Among the fields in this screen is aseries of radio buttons that may be used to indicate which tile listsshould be inherited from a parent profile, and which should be copied.The copy behavior indicates that the setting, value, content, and/or thelike is copied such that, a new instance is created for larger contentitems (e.g., the lists) and simple values are merely replicated.Changing the parameter in the child has no effect on the parent forcopies. The inherit behavior indicates that the setting, value, content,and/or the like is linked as between the parent and child, such thatboth the child and the parent use the instance of larger content items(e.g., the lists) and that if the instance is modified (e.g., at theparent), then the modification is applied to all profiles linked to thatinstance. For simple parameters, inheritance need not be used, butsynchronization may be maintained. In any event, once these items areselected, the FIG. 69 example screen may populate itself. For instance,for inherited tile lists, the tile list table (below the carousel orgrid view preview) may appear grayed-out, e.g., to help make clear thatit is inherited and not editable. Copied tiles may be edited or removed,and additional tiles can be added, moved around, etc. Once the profileis created, it may be pushed to jukeboxes that want it (e.g., based on aselection from an operator, venue manager, or other authorized person).FIG. 70 b is a table showing an example profile header format that maybe used in connection with certain exemplary embodiments.

The second area on the left of the FIG. 69 example view enables users tocreate, modify, delete, and/or otherwise manipulate tiles. FIG. 71 a isan example tile creation screen that may be used in certain exemplaryembodiments. The image associated with the tile may be specified, e.g.,as a single image associated with an album, as artwork associated withthe top four (or other specified number) of songs, etc. A thus-addedtile may be moved to a profile (e.g., by dragging and dropping or otheroperations). The text takeover field, when “on,” indicates that no textcan be placed over the image. FIG. 71 b is a table showing an exampletile definition format that may be used in connection with certainexemplary embodiments. FIGS. 71 c(1)-71 c(2) provide another exampletile definition format that may be used in connection with certainexemplary embodiments.

FIG. 72 is an enlarged area of the lower portion of the FIG. 69 screen,showing a tile being added to the profile. Day parting (e.g., indicatingwhen a tile is to be activated during a day such that, for example,classical music plays for brunch, pop music plays for dinner, and HipHop plays during late night hours, etc.), enable/disable dates, and/orthe like may be specified, and/or default values may be applied. Thecarousel preview of FIG. 69 may be automatically updated to indicate theaddition of the new tile.

FIG. 73 a is an example profile analytics screen that may be displayedto users, in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments. In additionto providing analytics about top plays, artists/songs searched,jukeboxes using the profile, coinage, etc., items from the lowerportions of the display may be used to create new tiles, e.g., throughdrag-and-drop or other operations, in which items are associated withtiles or the like in the associated dropdown to the left side of theexample screen.

With respect to the analytics offered, with respect to top tiles at thebottom area of the example screen, the top listing will display apredefined (e.g., 5) tiles at a time with the ability to scrollhorizontally from left to right to see more. The user may scroll upthrough a predefined number of additional tiles (e.g., top 20, top 50,top 100 tiles). An overlay may be provided with rank. Similar displaysmay be provided for top songs, albums, artists, and/or the like.

Further metrics may be derived from play data measured at a jukeboxdevice's front-end interface and consolidated at the central server,e.g., for royalty accounting purposes. FIG. 73 a(1), for example, plotsrevenue vs. date for a specific jukebox and as an average across thenetwork. FIG. 73 a(2), for example, plots revenue vs. date by play type(e.g., selection from search, genre, new and hot, playlist, home screen,etc.). FIG. 73 a(3), for example, displays the revenue by play type onthe vertical axis and profile name along the horizontal axis. Hoveringover an area may provide additional details about the relevant part.

Similar to the revenue charts discussed above, play data charts may bedisplayed, e.g., as a series of pie charts. For instance, FIG. 73 a(4)is a series of pie charts showing play data for play type, title type,plays by origin and credit, and paid play type. Percentages may bevisible, as well. Information about the device used to make a play maybe provided, as well, e.g., to generate a plays by original and playnext operation chart, etc.

The period of analysis may be altered, e.g., to reflect annual, monthly,weekly, daily, lifetime, custom-defined, and/or other periods.Territories also may form the basis of data refining operations incertain example implementations. Such custom-defined periods may be of apredetermined minimum and maximum duration. It will be appreciated thatother graph formats may be used in place of or together with those shownin the examples discussed herein. For instance, area formats may be usedrather than line charts, area charts may be used for jukebox-specificinformation and line charts may be used for macro average data, etc. Italso will be appreciated that different types of data may be overlaid ona common graph (e.g., the stacked bar chart may also indicate number ofvenues, etc.).

FIG. 73 b is an example tile analytics view that may be displayed tousers, in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments. The numbercolumn indicates the rank of the tile, the weekly plays is a simplecount of plays, the WoW % column is a week-over-week percentage changein the number of plays, and network and profile popularity measures alsoare provided. In certain exemplary embodiments, network popularityranking may be the value contained within the catalog, where each songis associated with a numerical value representing popularity in thenetwork. The value will be the same for all jukeboxes and will vary eachweek, for instance.

FIG. 74 is an example new tile creation screen that may be used tocreate dynamic tiles, in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments.Dynamic tiles may be generated locally (at the jukebox), based on thenetwork as a whole, or in some blended fashion. The tile definition isset to allow for multiple entries, and the user may select a number ofitems to be included in the list (in this example, 30) from a particulargroup (in this example, genre). Thus, a user may create a dynamic listof the top X songs from a specified genre, playlist, profile, region,jukebox, etc. The configuration of the image may also be specified inthe art at the left of the screen, and an indication of how often theartwork in the images and/or the list is to be updated (e.g., daily,weekly, monthly, etc.) may be specified in certain exemplaryembodiments. Thus, it will be appreciated that the example techniquesdescribed herein may be used to create static and/or dynamic tiles,playlists, profiles, and/or the like, e.g., in different use cases.

A search function may be used to help locate songs, artists, albums,etc., addable to tiles, playlists, genres, profiles, etc. Adaptivesearch techniques, different ordering techniques, etc., may be applied(e.g., as described above) in order to facilitate such features. Similarsearches may be performed for playlists, tiles, profiles, and/or thelike, e.g., for editing, adding to another of the same or different typeof element, etc.

A completed profile, tile, etc., may be saved as a draft and approved byothers (e.g., the jukebox provider or the like) before it is publishableto jukeboxes. FIG. 75 is an example approval screen that may be used inconnection with certain exemplary embodiments.

In certain exemplary embodiments, translations may be provided fordifferent localities. Similarly, different images may be tied todifferent localities, e.g., to match local standards of decency, toinclude graphics-based text in an appropriate language, etc.

It will be appreciated that the use cases presented herein are providedby way of example and without limitation. Other flowcharts and use casesare possible in connection with different exemplary embodiments,implementations, and/or uses of this invention.

Certain exemplary embodiments relate to an entertainment centercomprising a computer capable of communicating with networks, whereinsaid computer is further connected to at least one display throughstandard analog, digital, or network-addressable displays, said computerbeing operable to interact with a remote device connected to one of saidnetworks in communication with said computer, said remote device beingoperable to accept a code and transmit said code to said computer, andwherein said computer can validate against a database or against analgorithm the validity of said code and, upon positive validation, saidcomputer is configured to allocate a monetary value or a credit value tosaid remote device. The remote device may be operable to browse contentcontained on said computer and said remote device may be furtheroperable to select and pay for said content using said monetary or saidcredit value, said computer may be operable to reduce said monetary orsaid credit value upon a selection by said remote device. The code mayinstead or in addition be sent to the remote device and entered on thecomputer.

Certain exemplary embodiments relate to an out-of-home entertainmentcenter coupled with at least one Internet-based messaging system and/ora social networking site and coupled with at least one remote device,said remote device being connected to the out of home entertainmentcenter by a wired or wireless local area network or through theInternet, wherein the use of some of the entertainment center servicesby said remote device causes said entertainment center to send messagesto said at least one Internet-based messaging system. Connecting thesystem through the Internet may require a user to input a code to theremote device that uniquely identifies the entertainment center.

The present disclosure has used certain terms that should not beinterpreted as limiting the invention to a particular embodiment,hardware components and configurations, software configurations, etc.For example, many features and examples have been described in relationto their existence within a bar, pub, or other environment. However, itwill be appreciated that the features present in the exemplaryembodiments of the present invention are adaptable for use in anylocation where a jukebox (or multiple jukeboxes) may be located.Similarly, while certain features and functions are described withreference to usage by “users,” “owners,” “operators,” “patrons,” etc.,it will be appreciated that these terms are generic and may, in mostcases, be used interchangeably depending on the embodiment chosen andthe feature employed. For example, while it may be advantageous to limitthe initial song selection to owners and/or operators, in certainexemplary embodiments, patrons may play a role in the initial songselection. It will be appreciated that the term “display” includes, forexample, monitors connected to computers directly or remotely, orembedded ICs such as IP TV technology. Displays may be networkaddressable. Also, standard digital signs (LED based) also may beconsidered displays and/or may be provided as network addressabledisplays.

Although certain exemplary embodiments have been described in connectionwith out-of-home locations, it will be appreciated that the techniquesdescribed herein may be adapted for use in an in-home or personaljukebox.

Still further, particular hardware combinations and configurations aredisclosed that represent only one way which the embodiments may beconstructed. Central servers may, in some exemplary embodiments,comprise one or more servers acting together or separately to coherentlyprovide the full range of services necessary to enable a functioningjukebox. For example, a cluster of servers may comprise a virtualcentral server, with one server providing media, another trackingmembership, still another processing licensing, etc.

Similarly, the local servers described herein may be incorporated intothe jukeboxes. For example, the local servers may appear to functionindependently, even though they exist as part (e.g. partition) of anintegrated mass storage device within the jukebox. Indeed, as hard disksbecome larger and less expensive, they may preferably serve thefunctions of local servers.

Also, although the term “song” has been used sometimes in theabove-description, this term is not intended to be limiting to the scopeof the invention, and any instance or instances of media (e.g., song,video, song/video combination, data, information etc.) can be used inany embodiment herein and still fall within the intended scope of theinvention.

Lastly, it will be appreciated that the screen shots and softwarearrangements presented herein are only one exemplary method fororganizing and displaying the features disclosed herein. Otherconfigurations are possible and are therefore contemplated herein.

While the preferred aspects of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed herein, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in theart that various changes and/or modifications can be made. Thus, thespecific description herein is meant to be exemplary only and is notintended to limit the invention beyond the terms of appended claims.

1. A digital jukebox device, comprising: a display device; andprocessing resources including at least one hardware processor and amemory coupled to the at least one hardware processor, the processingresources being configured to control the digital jukebox device to atleast output to the display device a user interface, the user interfacebeing configured to present a plurality of groupings of songs availablefor playback via the digital jukebox device on a pay-for-play basis,each said grouping of songs being representable in the user interface asa user-selectable tile including imagery associated with two or more ofthe songs in the respective grouping.
 2. The digital jukebox device ofclaim 1, wherein the imagery includes album art.
 3. The digital jukeboxdevice of claim 1, wherein the imagery does not include any album art.4. The digital jukebox device of claim 1, wherein each user-selectabletile includes a text-based identifier of the respective grouping.
 5. Thedigital jukebox device of claim 4, wherein at least some of theuser-selectable tiles include a text-based description of the respectivegrouping.
 6. The digital jukebox device of claim 5, wherein eachtext-based description identifies one or more featured artists and/orsongs in the respective grouping.
 7. The digital jukebox device of claim6, further comprising a network interface, wherein featured artistsand/or songs are identified as being flagged by a central music servicethat is communicatively coupled to the network interface of the digitaljukebox device.
 8. The digital jukebox device of claim 7, wherein theimagery of each said tile is divided into a number of segments definedby the central music service.
 9. The digital jukebox device of claim 8,wherein for each said tile, each said segment has a different song-and/or artist-related image associated therewith.
 10. The digitaljukebox device of claim 8, wherein an orientation of the segments in agiven tile is definable by the central music service.
 11. The digitaljukebox device of claim 8, wherein the imagery of each said tile isselected at random from a group of images associated with the songs inthe grouping associated with the respective tile.
 12. The digitaljukebox device of claim 1, wherein the imagery of each said tile isdivided into a number of segments defined by the central music service.13. The digital jukebox device of claim 12, wherein an orientation ofthe segments in a given tile is definable by a central music service.14. The digital jukebox device of claim 1, wherein the groupings ofsongs are divided into different categories, the user interfacedisplaying one said category of groupings at a time on the displaydevice.
 15. The digital jukebox device of claim 14, wherein thecategories include custom-curated playlists and predefined genres. 16.The digital jukebox device of claim 14, wherein one of the categoriescorresponds to user-defined playlists.
 17. The digital jukebox device ofclaim 14, wherein one of the categories corresponds to automaticallygenerated lists of popular songs.
 18. The digital jukebox device ofclaim 1, wherein at least some of the tiles have associated imagery thatis programmed to change so that different images associated with the twoor more of the songs in the respective grouping are displayed atdifferent times in connection with display of the tiles.
 19. The digitaljukebox device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the groupings is anorganic grouping that includes (1) a first predetermined non-zeropercentage of songs selected from a master catalog of songs as being themost popular songs in a first predefined area, and (2) a secondpredetermined non-zero percentage of songs selected from the mastercatalog of songs and indicated as being flagged by a central musicservice as promoted songs.
 20. The digital jukebox device of claim 19,wherein the at least one organic grouping further includes a thirdpredetermined non-zero percentage of songs selected from the mastercatalog of songs as being the most popular songs in a second predefinedarea, the first and second predefined areas being different from oneanother.
 21. The digital jukebox device of claim 20, wherein the firstpredefined area includes only the digital jukebox device itself, and thesecond predefined area includes other digital jukebox devices that aremanaged by a manager of the digital jukebox device itself.
 22. Thedigital jukebox device of claim 20, wherein: the digital jukebox devicehas a music profile selected from a plurality of different possiblemusic profiles, the music profile defining aspects of the songs playableby the digital jukebox device, and the first predefined area includesonly the digital jukebox device itself, and the second predefined areaincludes other digital jukebox devices that are managed by a manager ofthe digital jukebox device itself and that are configured to operatewith the same music profile as the music profile selected for thedigital jukebox device.
 23. The digital jukebox device of claim 22,wherein the first predefined area is further limited to the digitaljukebox device itself when it is operating in accordance with theselected music profile.
 24. A method of operating a digital jukeboxdevice, the method comprising: displaying, via a display device of thedigital jukebox device, a user interface; causing the user interface topresent a plurality of groupings of songs available for playback via thedigital jukebox device on a pay-for-play basis, each said grouping ofsongs being representable in the user interface as a user-selectabletile including imagery associated with two or more of the songs in therespective grouping; enabling user selection of tiles and/or songstherein; and playing back selected songs on a pay-for-play basis usingthe digital jukebox device, wherein the digital jukebox device includesprocessing resources including at least one hardware processor and amemory coupled to the at least one hardware processor, the processingresources being configured to facilitate the displaying, causing,enabling, and playing back of selected songs.
 25. The method of claim24, wherein: each user-selectable tile includes a text-based identifierof the respective grouping; at least some of the user-selectable tilesinclude a text-based description of the respective grouping, eachtext-based description identifying one or more featured artists and/orsongs in the respective grouping; and the imagery of each said tile isdivided into a predefined number of segments organized in a predefinedorientation, each said segment having a different changeable song-and/or artist-related image associated therewith. 23-123. (canceled)